links for 2010-04-07

1. Cute shot at the Catholics there, Waldo, but it’s impossible to say that because they didn’t sell birth control or condoms that’s why they went out of business. There have been quite a few factors in recent days that could have led to the demise of the Condomless Pharmacist.

   I’d be up for a little pita. Where’s your shop going to be located? I heard there’s a huge empty building on the downtown mall. Maybe you could go in there.

2. I don’t think Waldo said that the Catholic Rx shuttered because it wouldn’t sell condoms or birth control. He said it shuttered b/c it wouldn’t sell “basic stuff that people expect at a pharmacy,” which according to the article is stuff like cosmetics, gum, candy, etc. The owners did feel that was a contributing factor.

3. Cecil, he made a joke about how foolish it would be to open a sandwich shop that didn’t sell leavened bread on moral grounds. Meaning that it’s what isn’t being sold because of morals that drove (would drive) a business out of business.

   They weren’t not selling stuff like cosmetics, gum, etc. because of moral objections.

   Did the condomlessness contribute? Maybe. But that doesn’t appear to be the main factor in the shuttering. So why criticize them for that?

4. Pita bread is leavened. There’s no bread that you can make without a leavening agent (yeast, baking soda, baking powder) that you’d actually want to eat, at least that I’ve ever encountered.

   The joke is, of course, that this is a pharmacy that was established based not on any desire to serve customers—that is, to sell stuff that people want—but on the desire not to sell stuff that people want. So they went out of business. And they’re surprised! If that’s not high comedy, I don’t know what is.

   I was raised Catholic. I went to church every Sunday and CCD every Saturday & Monday for half of my life. Believe me, I’ve got lots of Catholic jokes. I’ve earned ’em.

5. Matzo, then?

   Although I’m not sure it’d work great for sandwiches. :-)

6. “I was raised Catholic. I went to church every Sunday and CCD every Saturday & Monday for half of my life. Believe me, I’ve got lots of Catholic jokes. I’ve earned ‘em.”

   Story of my life.

   But you know what, Waldo? Youda made a killing with that unleavened bread shop during the Atkins craze. I worked at a Mediterranean take out shop whose menu was mostly “things stuffed into pitas,” and I remember having to shift our menu over to “things that should go into pitas but now we’re putting them in salad containers because people are afraid of bread.”

7. Genevieve, matzoh may not have yeast, but it still has carbs. Atkins followers wouldn’t touch it. They’d be demanding the KFC sandwich with fried chicken (light on the batter) in place of bread.

8. KC: And it makes horrible sandwiches anyways. My boyfriend is Jewish (and a doctor. From NYC. He’s refreshingly original, yes?). I know these things. I should have said that Waldo would have done better to have a sandwich shop that refused to sell bread of any sort.

   However, side note, in Jersey, you can buy matzoh with basil, oregano, tomato and Parmesan cheese, branded “Italian style matzoh.” Atkins or no Atkins, an unleavened bread shop will do pretty well (assuming you don’t try for a traditional sandwich) in many parts of the world.

   I feel like I might be getting off topic.

9. I’ve never tried matzoh. Not once. It’s pathetic. Once or twice I’ve thought to buy it, but it comes in what looks like year’s-supply packs, and I’m not sure that I know what to do with ten pounds of the stuff.

10. I think the joke is only partly on the people who opened the business that makes a business of not selling what people want. I think the joke is also on the people who claim, at least when polled perhaps, that they want more “moral” business practices (or maybe “family values” is the euphemism they use), but when it comes down to practical reality, they want the same ol’ same ol. This pharmacy was located near two large dioceses? And advertised itself as the pharmacy that embodied Catholic principles in a business context? and that local Catholic community didn’t shop there enough to keep it afloat?

    In a capitalist socioeconomic culture, principle usuall gives way to (artificially) low prices and “convenience.” At least that’s what I observe.

11. Waldo: Ok, first of all, you can usually get normal sized packages in the “international” aisles of most chain grocery stores, like Safeway, Giant, Fresh Grocer, etc.

    Second of all, even if you get the mega pack, it doesn’t go bad. Like, ever. For some reason, all the Jews I know who admit to eating it put either ham and mustard or cheese and prosciutto on it (“like God intended,” one added). These are the same Jews who were cooking pork in Israel on the first night of Passover, so take that for what you will.

    But honestly, you’re not missing much. Now, if you told me that you’d never been to a traditional Jewish deli… then we would have problems.

12. Now, if you told me that you’d never been to a traditional Jewish deli… then we would have problems.

    I have! In Manhattan, no less. I mean, I guess Brooklyn is the most legit place to visit a Jewish deli, but I was close. :)

13. Waldo–I was actually thinking about you during an editing session today… one of my friends brought “unleavened passover baked goods” for the team today.

    And they were awesome. Especially the matzoh bark. I don’t know what it really is, or how Mrs. Genevieve’s Staffer’s Mom made it, but it seemed to be basically plain matzoh, with chocolate and caramel and nuts.

    Food is, um, really important to my team…

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