Bake’mm Bagels

“The first [truth] is that political violence, of any kind, is horrific and obscene. Despite the widespread moral confusion evident on social media, the attempted assassination of former President Trump was simply a tragedy for our country. And in response to this truth, we must do whatever we can to restore civility and basic decency to our politics.

But there is a second truth, now all but unutterable, and it is this: No one has done more to destroy civility and basic decency in our politics than Donald Trump. No one, in fact, has done more to increase the threat of political violence. Unlike any president in modern history, Trump brings out the worst in both his enemies and his friends. His influence on American life seems almost supernaturally pernicious.

The problem for Democrats is that any observation of this second truth—a truth that seems likely to darken and expand in the aftermath of yesterday’s attack—will now be condemned as rancorous and immoral—or worse, as an incitement to further political violence.

Every necessary criticism of Trump’s authoritarianism, fondness for dictators, fraudulence, personal corruption, hostility to the rule of law, and fathomless dishonesty—will be mistaken for (or cynically construed as) a symptom of the very political disease we must cure. Telling the truth about the actual risks that Trump and Trumpism still pose to our democracy just became much more difficult.”

Sam Harris, July 14, 2024

For some this might really resonate…

From Brooklyn Dad Defiant
When I cast my vote for President Biden, I wasn't expecting much. I just wanted trump out of office.

I knew he was old.
I knew he had a stutter.
I knew he had a rep for "gaffes."
I didn't care. Just wanted trump gone.

Four years later, things are different.
I wasn't expecting that President Biden would be the most legislatively successful President in my lifetime.

I wasn't expecting him to help expand NATO.
I wasn't expecting him to lower insulin & inhalers.
I wasn't expecting him to create & recover 15m jobs.
I wasn't expecting him to bring manufacturing back.
I wasn't expecting him to forgive student debt.

But he did ALL those things, and more.
He surpassed my expectations by a lot.
And he has more planned for 2025-2028.

He's not a master orator,
He doesn't move so smoothly
But neither did FDR from his wheelchair.

Meanwhile, trump is STILL a threat.
He wants to be a dictator.
He wants to stay out of prison.
He wants revenge on his enemies.
He wants to take away from the poor and middle class and give to the ultra wealthy.
His Project 2025 will enable a national abortion ban to criminalize women seeking safe and legal abortions.
His Project 2025 will take away the rights of our LGBTQ family and friends.
His Project 2025 will transform the government into a loyalty pledge, not to America but to him ALONE.
We might never have another free election.

THAT is what is at stake in this election.

We can continue to progress with Biden policies, or we can let trump destroy democracy as we know it.

If you're looking for someone who's young and athletic, go watch a fu***ng movie.

I'll take the old guy who needs a nap while saving democracy over the old guy trying to overthrow democracy who needs a legal team.

Enough is enough. The actions of Netanyahu in Gaza must stop. I’ve been respectful of Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas terrorists and their attack on innocent Israelis on Oct 7– I cannot continue to be silent. Enough is enough. US support of Israel must end. Stop funding the genocide of Gaza. Stop funding the massacre of aid workers. Stop looking away as Israel continues to expand occupation in the West Bank.

Please support the aid organizations working to ease (if even possible) the suffering in Gaza.

Humanitarian Crisis in Israel and Gaza Discover and donate to highly rated charities providing disaster relief and recovery services for affected communities in Israel and Gaza.

Update: I am home from rehab (UVA Encompass Health) where I spent the last eleven days in occupational and physical therapy— learning how to use a walker to move about, given the weight limit on my left side where most of the eight crush fractures to my pelvis are. My right flank, knee, and foot are still very swollen, though I can’t visualize how the car made its journey across my body… probably better not to over analyze. I am alive and my recovery, while long and arduous, will eventually be complete.
A huge shout out to the therapy team, nurses, caregivers and techs who do their best everyday and night. It can’t be easy. Thanks to everyone who has sent and continues to send best wishes, cards, flowers and food. I am a little better with each and every thought and healing vibe coming my way. Special thanks to my wife Cynthia Viejo # who goes above and beyond (I hope she doesn’t kill me for being a pain in the ass sometimes).

Dear Virginia— primary today is open. No matter your affiliation, pick up a republican ballot and vote for Nikki Haley.

Florida, Florida why-fore art thou?

"...she believes the book may be "harmful to minors." She was worried that if a "5-year-old picks up this book and has never seen a picture of a pen*s… [t]he parent wouldn’t be able to discuss this with the child."

WTF? If parents cant talk to their children about pen*ses, they've got bigger problems than these books.

Pressed by Moms for Liberty, Florida school district adds clothing to illustrations in classic children's books Since its initial publication in 1970, millions of children have read In The Night Kitchen, the classic picture book by celebrated author Maurice Sendak. The book is about a young boy who has a surreal dream about baking a cake that needs to be finished by morning. It was named a

LaManior for our last day in England. Luxury on steroids and organic farm to table dining by the preeminent Chef Raymond Blanc.

Markers date back to the 1200s at this village church at Rousham House & Gardens. A millennia of history.

The only photographs permitted were at the car park— King Charles is quite the garden enthusiast.

Two beautiful gardens— Borde Hill and High Beeches. We rest here for the night. Tomorrow’s a spa day. Cheerio…

A great day, though windy, touring the gardens at Great Dixter (the oldest timber built house in England— first recorded in 1220 with the earliest surviving bit from 1450), the English Channel, and back to Rye.

The trunks of KewGardens

London along the Thames.

https://shoutout.wix.com/so/05O4DbTKU?languageTag=en

Time to say "goodbye" It's over. While the judge ruled in favor of the founders of Bageladies, no real winners ever emerge from such a fight. Bake'mm Bagels had a great run and I miss them everyday; I'm not alone. Many great products remain only as tasty memories. Bake'mm will be that for you too. You have been with us t...

Celebrating Black History — the Biscuit Cutter!

Alexander P. Ashbourne (1820-1915) Alexander P. Ashbourne (1820-1915) Posted on March 31, 2019August 17, 2019by contributed by: Euell A. Nielsen African American History: African American History: People Alexander Ashbourne's biscuit-cutter, Patent No. 170,460, November 30, 1875 Image Public Domain Alexander P. Ashbourne was an early...

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we look back at many of the individuals who shaped our country and world for the better. African Americans have left their mark on society in countless ways, including the food industry.

Today, we’d like to highlight one person in particular who greatly affected the baking world. That man, Joseph Lee, is influential in how modern bakers operate.

Joseph Lee was born in Boston in 1849. He would grow up during a time of unrest, especially for African Americans. The Civil War would not begin for over a decade. It was extremely difficult situation for a young man of color, but Lee would not be deterred.

As a boy, he worked at a bakery, prepping, cooking, and serving food. This would eventually lead to his love of the industry, and he would later open two restaurants in the Boston area. He would then own and manage a hotel for 17 years. Hotel management would not be his calling, though, and in 1902 Lee began his own catering business called the Lee Catering Company.

Joseph Lee’s involvement in the food industry would lead to a very important revelation. He became interested in the development of a way to eliminate throwing out day-old bread, a needless waste in his opinion. He believed that bread crumbs were better than cracker crumbs, so went to work on a way to turn wasted bread into something more.

He set out to invent a device that would mechanize tearing, crumbling, and grinding bread into crumbs. In 1895, Lee patented this device. He would soon sell the machine to the Royal Worcester Bread Crumb Company of Boston, where it would later make its way to restaurants around the world. This bread-crumbing technique would be the catalyst for such things as cake batter, very important for bakeries.

After that, Joseph Lee continued to work on food preparation innovation. He invented a bread-making machine that could mix ingredients and knead dough with the efficiency of six men. It was more cost-efficient and hygienic than anything that came before it. This machine is considered the basis for many machines still used today.

While Joseph Lee may have died well over a century ago, his work still lives on in the baking industry as well as the path he helped forge for African Americans. We thank him for his contributions to society, and we look forward to how his legacy will continue to be carried on by current and future generations.

Joseph Lee was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) alongside 18 other honorees on May 1-2, 2019.

Bubble, bubble toil and trouble!