In civilized life, where the happiness and indeed almost the existence of man, depends so much upon the opinion of his fellow men. He is constantly acting a studied part. Washington Irving (1783-1859)

feisty  Definition: (adjective) Lively, resilient, and self-reliant. Synonyms: spunky, plucky Usage: The feisty girl ignored neighbors’ suggestions that she call the fire department for help and instead scrambled up the tree to get the cat herself. Discuss.

BRONX DA DARCEL D. CLARK RELEASES RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION INTO DEATH OF LAYLEEN POLANCO IN RIKERS ISLAND Six-Month Investigation Found No Criminality in Tragic Death           Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a six-month investigation by her Office […]

 ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌Click on the icons above to follow NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!Dear Friends:I hope you and your families are continuing to stay well during this time and remember that we are all weathering this pandemic […]

John Trumbull (1756) After serving as an aide to George Washington during the American Revolution, Trumbull went to London to study painting under Benjamin West. He was imprisoned shortly thereafter—in retribution for the hanging of a British agent in the US—and left London upon his release. He returned in 1784 and began a celebrated series of historical paintings, four of which now hang in the US Capitol rotunda. His oft-reproduced Declaration of Independence is featured on what denomination of US currency? More…

I hold every man a debtor to his profession; from the which as men of course do seek to receive countenance and profit, so ought they of duty to endeavor themselves, by way of amends, to be a help and ornament thereunto. Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

cheapjack  Definition: (adjective) Inferior in quality or value. Synonyms: shoddy, tawdry Usage: The boardwalk is rife with shabby shops selling cheapjack souvenirs. Discuss. 

In front of Community Board 12 and only a few blocks away from where Ramarley Graham was shot and killed by police in 2012 was the announcement that the twelve bills on police reform below would be voted on and passed […]

John Couch Adams (1819) Before the planet Neptune was discovered, Adams—an English astronomer and mathematician—correctly predicted its existence and position based on irregularities in the motion of Uranus. However, the credit for the discovery went to Urbain Leverrier, who had come to the same conclusion later but published his findings earlier. In 1846, the planet was first observed by a German astronomer using Leverrier’s calculations. A modest man, Adams also declined to publish what other findings? More…

What is a novel if not a conviction of our fellow-men’s existence strong enough to take upon itself a form of imagined life clearer than reality and whose accumulated verisimilitude of selected episodes puts to shame the pride of documentary history. Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) 

introverted  Definition: (adjective) Marked by interest in or preoccupation with oneself or one’s own thoughts as opposed to others or the environment; shy or reserved. Synonyms: introspective, self-examining Usage: Bobby is an introverted child, so it is unlikely that he would feel comfortable entering the talent show. Discuss. 

François Quesnay (1694) While serving as consulting physician to Louis XV at Versailles, Quesnay developed an interest in economics. In his 1758 Tableau économique, he described the relationship between the different economic classes of society and the flow of payments among them, and he developed the concept of economic balance used by many later economic analysts. An advocate of laissez-faire economics, he believed that all wealth originated with the land. What school of economics is he credited with founding? More…