Originally published in 1926, The Sun Also Rises is Ernest Hemingway’s first novel and a classic example of his spare but powerful writing style. A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway’s most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. Based on Hemingway’s experiences, ‘The Sun Also Rises’ is the story of a group of American and English expatriates living in Paris who take an excursion to Pamplona, Spain. The novel has forever associated Hemingway with bullfights and the running of the bulls. This powerful work of modern fiction, filled with memorable characters and universal themes, is summarized in this volume, which is enhanced by thought-provoking critical extracts, focused biographical details, and an annotated bibliography. This book helped to establish Hemingway as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century
Category: Activities (Page 20 of 50)
Activities are gatherings that occur on a regular schedule, usually weekly, to enjoy a specific pastime.
Host: Jan Selkowitz
Chairman: Frank DeLeo
Bell Ringing at Palmer’s for Darien Human Services
Raising funds to help needy Darienites by soliciting donations from Palmer’s shoppers at Christmas has been a long-standing DMA tradition. Due to COVID-19, we couldn’t perform this important service in 2020. Fortunately, we were able to re-start this activity this year with teams of 2 (and one team of 3) ringing a handbell and greeting shoppers on their way in and out of the store on Sunday, December 12 and Monday, December 20. We had 25 people participate, including 3 members who rang on both days as well as a wife and granddaughter who joined their respective DMA members. Thanks to all who helped and to Palmer’s for letting us use their space and leverage their shoppers.
For several reasons, our historical relationship with the Salvation Army for this activity was no longer an option. So, we partnered directly with the Darien Human Services Department (DHS) (who had been our historical benefactor and go-between with the Salvation Army), focusing on their direct funding activities related to housing, energy, food and clothing assistance. We also had brochures about DHS at our table to help publicize the breadth of services they provide. By partnering directly with DHS, we were able to ensure that the funds raised would go 100% to Darien residents.
We were blessed with good weather on both days (sunny and not too chilly). Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Darien residents/Palmer’s shoppers (and the warmth and engaging demeanor of our bell ringers – many of whom enhanced the spirit of the season by wearing Santa hats), we raised $1,350 on the 12th and $1,125 on the 20th, for a grand total of $2,475. The DHS Director was thrilled and extremely appreciative since past years’ daily donations were typically in the $400-$800 range. What a great way to re-institute one of our traditional Community Service activities. We not only made a significant contribution to our neighbors, but we also raised the bar for future holiday fund raising at Palmer’s!
Current Affairs: Quadrennial Report of the National Intelligence Council, Friday, January 28, 2022, at 11 am
White paper summarizing the issues: DMA Current Affairs White Paper January 2022
On Friday, January 28, at 11 am, Tom Igoe will lead a Current Affairs discussion on the latest quadrennial report of The National Intelligence Council (NIC or Council) entitled Global Trends 2040: A More Contested World. The NIC supports the Director of National Intelligence in her role as head of the Intelligence Community and is the IC’s center for long-term strategic analysis. Since its establishment in 1979, the NIC has served as a bridge between the intelligence and policy communities, a source of deep substantive expertise on intelligence issues, and a facilitator of Intelligence Community collaboration and outreach.
The NIC’s report is typically released at the start of each new administration with the intent of providing guidance as to the key trends and uncertainties that will shape the strategic environment for the United States during the next two decades. The goal of this report is not to offer a specific prediction of the world in 2040 but rather to help policymakers and citizens see what may lie beyond the horizon and prepare for an array of possible futures.
As the report notes in its sobering introductory passages, during the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of its fragility and demonstrated the inherent risks of high levels of interdependence. In coming years and decades, the world will face more intense and cascading global challenges ranging from disease to climate change to disruptions from new technologies and financial crises. These challenges will repeatedly test the resilience and adaptability of communities, states and the international system, often exceeding the capacity of existing systems and models. This looming disequilibrium between existing and future challenges and the ability of institutions and systems to respond is likely to grow and produce greater contestation at every level.
In this more contested world, communities are increasingly fractured as people seek security with like-minded groups based on established and newly prominent identities; states of all types and in all regions are struggling to meet the needs and expectations of more connected, more urban, and more empowered populations; and the international system is more competitive – shaped in part by challenges from a rising China – and at greater risk of conflict as states and nonstate actors exploit new sources of power and erode longstanding norms and institutions that have provided some stability in past decades.
The NIC asserts that these dynamics are not fixed in perpetuity, however, and envisions a variety of plausible scenarios for the world of 2040 – from a democratic renaissance to a transformation in global cooperation spurred by shared tragedy – depending on how these dynamics interact and human choices along the way.
The Global Trends 2040 report, a copy of which can be accessed by clicking the link below, is a detailed 145-page document that provides a broad range of factual and analytical material. It is well written and thought provoking. Given its length, some DMA members may not have the time
or the desire to plow through the entire document. For these folks, I encourage you to read the Foreword Section (pps. v and vi), the Introduction: Key Themes (pp. 1 – 5), the Executive Summary (pp. 6 – 13), the Scenarios for 2040 (pp. 109 – 119), and the informative charts included at the back end under the heading Regional Forecasts (pp. 120 – 140).
Navigating this report can be humbling. It’s also an experience that awakens many new understandings and thoughts on possible outcomes for the long-term prospects of the world in which we live. In advance of our Current Affairs discussion, Mike Wheeler will send to the discussion group a poll eliciting your thoughts. The results will be shared at the conclusion of our discussions.
Given the complexity of the subject matter and the numerous areas to be covered, members may expect the discussion to continue for up to an hour and a half from the 11 am start time.
The following includes links to the Global Trends report and additional reading materials intended to supplement the information included in the report:
- National Intelligence Estimate: Climate Change and International Responses Increasing Challenges to U.S. National Security Through 2040, dated October 2021: https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/NIE_Climate_Change_and_N ational_Security.pdf
- Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis, dated October 2021: https://media.defense.gov/2021/Oct/21/2002877353/-1/-1/0/DOD-CLIMATE-RISK-ANALYSIS-FINAL.PDF
- Wall Street Journal Opinion Piece by Graham Allison and Eric Schmidt, dated December 8, 2021: China Will Soon Lead the U.S. in Tech: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-will-soon-lead-the-us-in-tech-global-leader-semiconductors-5g-wireless-green-energy-11638915759?st=rsg20va9jcntz7m&reflink=article_email_share
- Wall Street Journal Opinion Piece by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt and Daniel Huttenlocher, dated November 2, 2021: The Challenge of Being Human in the Age of AI: https://www.wsj.com/articles/being-human-artifical-intelligence-ai-chess-antibiotic-philosophy-ethics-bill-of-rights-11635795271?st=hamxya5815muur0&reflink=article_email_share
- Wall Street Journal Book Review by Tunku Varadarajan, dated November 20, 2021: The Principles for Dealing With the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio: https://www.wsj.com/articles/principles-for-dealing-with-the-changing-world-order-book-review-ray-dalio-trouble-ahead-as-usual-11637335545?st=qom93w21su8v8n5&reflink=article_email_share
- Spiked-Online Opinion Piece Why China Haunts America by Phil Mullan, dated December 31, 2021: https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/12/31/why-china-haunts-america/
- Foreign Affairs Article, China’s Economic Reckoning: The Price of Failed Reforms by Daniel H. Rosen: Current Affairs China’s Economic Reckoning
- Wall Street Journal Review Piece, dated January 15-16, 2022, by Kathryn Stoner: The Putin Puzzle: Why Ukraine/ Why Now? https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-putin-puzzle-why-ukraine-why-now-11642175999?st=yaqpxmecnayrvxb&reflink=article_email_share
- Wall Street Journal Opinion Piece, dated June 23, 2021, by Thomas Grove: Melting Arctic Ice Pits Russia Against U.S. and China for Control of the New Shipping Route: https://www.wsj.com/articles/melting-arctic-ice-pits-russia-against-u-s-and-china-for-control-of-new-shipping-route-11624445504?mod=Searchresults_pos2&page=1
- Putin Has the U.S. Right Where He Wants ItVladimir Putin’s aim is bigger than closing NATO’s “open door” to Ukraine and taking more territory.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/24/opinion/russia-ukraine-putin-biden.html?smid=em-share
Global Trends Report: GlobalTrends_2040
Given the complexity of the subject matter and the numerous areas to be covered, members may expect the discussion to continue for up to an hour and a half from the 11 am start time.
“HIKING” GREENWICH POINT PARK
7 TOD’S DRIFTWAY, GREENWICH
THURSDAY DECEMBER 9, 2021
10:30
We will be walking around Greenwich Point starting at 10:30 am.
NOTE THAT THIS START TIME IS ONE HALF HOUR LATER THAN OTHER HIKES. We will be walking about 3 miles over flat, mostly paved or packed gravel paths, which should take us about an hour and a half.
Greenwich Point is a 147 acre property owned by the Town of Greenwich which bought the property in 1945. The peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, was the private estate of J. Kennedy Tod who purchased the property in the 1880s. Greenwich Point offers spectacular views of Manhattan and the Greenwich shoreline. It is a beautiful place to walk and only available to non-Greenwich residents (without a substantial fee) during the months of December-April. You will not regret coming on this “hike”!
We will assemble in the first parking lot on the right after you pass the gatehouse. Greenwich Point can be windy and cold so layer up! Dogs on a leash are permitted and, as always, bring guests.
We will have an optional lunch at Louie’s Italian Restaurant in Cos Cob at 136 River Road Ext, a 12 minute drive from the Point.
DIRECTIONS: Google Greenwich Point Park for guidance
Contacts: Dave McCollum and 203-858-5688 and Bob Plunkett
Followup:
An enthusiastic group of 16 braved cold and windy, but bright, conditions over a little more than 3 miles at Greenwich Point this morning. This was our first chance to tour the spectacular peninsula after a two year absence due to weather and Covid. The wait was worth it, as it always is at GP. We had a fairly good view of Manhattan and a
very look at the Greenwich shoreline on our way around. Except for a stretch of about 400 yards, the trail is hard packed or pavement and very flat. We attracted four guests and the total group was the largest since Sherwood Island last year. J Kennedy Tod picked a beautiful place to site his mansion over 130 years ago and, like many of the places we hike, a municipal, state or charitable entity had the foresight to acquire the property for the benefit of future generations. Wildlife report-birds, nonlife report-one dead fish.
The group transferred to Louie’s Italian Restaurant in Cos Cob for a great lunch after the hike. This was the 8 th and final hike of 2021, an activity well suited to the unusual conditions of this year. Thanks to all who participated! We
hope to schedule some more hikes over the winter months.
Dave McCollum and Bob Plunkett
From Kirkus Reviews:
AN INSIDER’S STORY OF WEALTH, POWER, CORRUPTION, AND VENGEANCE IN TODAY’S CHINA
A Hong Kong–raised entrepreneur chronicles a high-flying life of wealth and political connections, eclipsed in harrowing fashion by a new wave of Chinese Communist Party authoritarianism.
In September 2017, Shum’s ex-wife and business partner, Whitney Duan, disappeared without a trace from Beijing, most certainly among the countless victims of trumped-up corruption charges by the relentless arm of Xi Jinping’s Communist Party apparatus. Together, Shum and Duan had built a vast fortune from real estate dealings in China, from the late 1990s through the global recession of 2008, a span of time during which China fully embraced private entrepreneurial energy in order to jump-start the economy. Around 1997, sensing the “go-go energy” of the new boom, in which “stories of instant millionaires and financial sensations” abounded, the couple leapt at the opportunity to enrich themselves, their families, and associates. However, the same intricate political connections that Duan had assiduously cultivated through the years, such as with Zheng Peili (“Auntie Zhang”), the wife of former premier Wen Jiabao, would prove the couple’s undoing as the political winds began to shift with the accession of Xi in 2013. Through a deliberative, slow-building, suspenseful narrative that reveals numerous insights about the mechanics of power and greed, Shum chronicles his humble early beginnings in Shanghai, then Hong Kong, where his family moved for more opportunity and he excelled as a swimmer, through college at the University of Wisconsin and attempts at trying his hand in the fledgling field of private equity. He effectively shows how Duan, a boldly calculating investor from a humble background, helped mold him into a highly successful entrepreneur. While Shum insists that they both fervently believed their wealth could foster social changes, he learned early on that what the Party gives, the Party can take away. Observers of contemporary Chinese affairs, consistently intriguing and murky territory, will find much to interest them here.
A riveting look inside “the roulette-like political environment of the New China.”
HIKING MIANUS RIVER PARK
STAMFORD, CT
NOVEMBER 18, 2021
On a spectacular mid-November day, 10 DMAers and 2 spouses hiked
for 3.8 miles in a little over two hours through the beautiful trails at
Mianus River Park, a 391 acre nature reserve on the
Stamford/Greenwich border. The combination of some still colorful
leaves, glacial rock outcroppings and a forest floor largely free of low
foliage made for a very scenic hike. Alas, again we spotted no wildlife
but we did encounter many other hikers and their dogs on such a nice
day. No injuries or other mishaps occurred extending our safety record!
The beauty of these hikes is the opportunity to converse with each
other in a quiet setting and to get to talk to every hiker at some point
during the walk.
After the hike, ten of us enjoyed a delicious and well served lunch at
Jody’s 19 th Hole at the E Gaynor Brennan Golf Course in Stamford.
Our next hike will be on Thursday December 9 at 10:00 at Greenwich
Point. Always a DMA favorite for its flat path and spectacular views of
Manhattan, we welcome a return after a Covid enforced absence of
two years.
Dave McCollum and Bob Plunkett
December 16th (11am ET) DCA/Zoom Hybrid
Don Loomis will moderate a discussion on the Voting Rights Act, H.R.1, H.R.4, and the actions being taken by the states to reform their voting laws. What does it all mean for future elections? Free and fair elections have been the bedrock of our democracy. Where do our voting rights come from and how did we get to our current status concerning voting rights.
Bert von Stuelpnagel will host a discussion of Europe’s War on Technology companies
Europe’s War on US Tech is motivated by at least two principal motives: The fear that American technology companies, while clearly ahead of their European rivals, do not provide sufficient privacy protection; and the widespread opinion that they do not pay their fair share of taxes, given their outsized income. The Current Affairs discussions on November 19 will ask two questions: Are these valid concerns; and should the European point of view be shared by Americans?
Recommended Reading
Google loses key appeal against 2.4 billion EU shopping antitrust case
Opinion | You Are the Object of a Secret Extraction Operation
Intelligence Squared US, Europe has Declared War on American Tech Companies, October 22, 2019
https://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/europe-has-declared-war-american-tech-companies
BBC London, EU Reveals Plan to Regulate Big Tech, December 15, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55318225
Tax Foundation, What European OECD Countries are doing about Digital Services Taxes, March 25, 2021
https://taxfoundation.org/digital-tax-europe-2020/
Thomson Reuters, Demystifying the 2021 EU’s Value Added Taxes, August 2, 2021
https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/tax-and-accounting/eu-vat-myths/
Avalara, Global VAT and GST on Digital Services, undated 2021
https://www.avalara.com/vatlive/en/global-vat-gst-on-e-services.html
Tax Foundation, Evaluating Proposals to Increase the Corporate Tax Rate and Levy a Minimum Tax on Corporate Book Income, February 24, 2021
https://taxfoundation.org/biden-corporate-income-tax-rate/
SizzlingStocks Newsletter, Largest Tech Companies by Market Cap, undated (2021)
https://companiesmarketcap.com/tech/largest-tech-companies-by-market-cap/
New York Times, Facebook Whistle-Blower Brings Campaign to Europe after Disclosures, October 25, 2021
New York Times, Why Europe is Hard on Big Tech, April 22, 2021
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/technology/europe-tech-regulations.html
Brookings Institute, An Agenda for US-EU Cooperation on Big Tech Regulation, August 9, 2021
https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/an-agenda-for-us-eu-cooperation-on-big-tech-regulation/
9to5MAC, Europe can’t agree on how to regulate tech giants like Apple or Google, October 11, 2021
https://9to5mac.com/2021/10/11/how-to-regulate-tech-giants/
North Central Park/City College and North Harlem Wandering
Date: Thursday, Oct 21, 2021
Metro North from Darien to Harlem/125th St—8.53 am
From Noroton Heights–8.57am
Note: get off at Harlem/125th St–do not go to Grand Central. We will congregate on the Harlem platform and head to the Lexington Ave subway station as a group to take the train to 103rd St.
This Wandering consists of two parts: first, a leisurely stroll through the northern section of Central Park–a lesser known section of the Park but no less beautiful.Then, a visit to City College and various points of interest in Northern Harlem. There will be two short subway rides in pretty empty subway cars because of the off peak hour.
We enter Central Park at 102nd St and visit the Conservatory Garden and its dancing fountain sculptures. Then on to the site of Fort Clinton, which played a role not only in the Revolutionary War but also in the War of 1812. We also visit the Andrew Haswell Green Memorial Bench since he is the star of the DMA Book Club’s November selection. The next part of the Central Park walk is more rugged as we explore the Ravine in the Northern Woods. We see all three waterfalls of the Park, two great arches and observe nature. In total we spend about 90 minutes in the Park.
A short subway ride will take us to 135 th St and the highlight of the second part of this Wandering, namely City College in Harlem. Its campus, though small, is surprisingly attractive because of its Gothic architecture.We have lunch there, around 12.30 at a well ventilated restaurant. Following lunch we stroll by , various historic sites in North Harlem, including Alexander Hamilton’s home, the magnificent townhouses of Striver’s Row and the Abyssinian Baptist Church. We may also get to peek at the famous WPA murals by black artists which are displayed at Harlem Hospital.Finally, we view the Astor Row homes.
By the end of this Wandering we will have walked about 5 ½ miles, over sometimes tricky terrain. So wear sturdy shoes. And remember to bring your masks and Vaccination certificate.
We expect to head home around 3.30pm from the Harlem/125th station.
The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction-to the City of New York. Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles’s third novel will satisfy fansof his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes
The Social Events committee has arranged a visit to the processing and laboratory facilities of Copps Island Oysters by Norm Bloom at 7 Edgewater Place in Norwalk commencing 9:30 am on Friday, October 22th . The visit will include a ride on one of their oyster boats to see oysters being harvested – as long as weather permits. After the event we will go to Knot Norms seafood restaurant for lunch where you can sample oysters in a variety of dishes – raw or cooked – or try their chowder or one of their lobster dishes. The address is 10 1st Street in Norwalk.
There is a limit of ten people that Copps Island Oysters can accommodate, so we will accept reservations on a first-come basis and then maintain a reserve list. Should the trip be oversubscribed we will attempt to arrange a follow-up event, as we did in 2019. We welcome those not attending the tour to join us at Knot Norms for lunch around 11:30 am.
All those members who have been fully vaccinated are invited to join the group, and masks are required for the tour of the facility. Please contact Jan Selkowitz to reserve your place. We will need to car-pool since there is limited parking in the area and we welcome volunteers for this task: let Jan know if you can be one of the drivers. We will meet at the DCA carpark and leave around 9:00 am to drive to Norwalk.
