Saturday, March 16, 2024

Almost A Good Week

Saturday, March 9, 2024
LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine is the Alabama case ruling that IVF embryos are human beings. In his concurring opinion last week, Chief Justice Tom Parker, an elected Republican, wrote:

"(1) God made every person in His image; (2) each person therefore has a value that far exceeds the ability of human beings to calculate; and (3) human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself."

However, Himself never appears in our Constitution.

Sunday, March 10, 2024
Fill in the blank. "________ experiencing double-digit annual rent price declines and have buildings offering concessions that include up to 8 weeks of free rent."  It ain't New York.  https://www.zumper.com/blog/rental-price-data/
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Thanks to my brother, I have a gift subscription to the New York Review of Books, not a publication that you turn to for limericks or chocolate chip cookie recipes. “Little Island” is an appropriately glum essay in the current issue about the shape of Great Britain these days.

One comment really drew my attention: “an economy in which Indian restaurants employ more people than steel, coal, and shipbuilding all put together.” While that description might be appropriate for India itself, I was shocked to hear it applied to Great Britain. Maybe more shocking is its origin, “Mad for Masala,” a report by the BBC in 1998. “Britain has around 8,000 curry houses which employ 70,000 people - more than steel, coal and shipbuilding put together.” 

It made me think of other possible comparisons. Italy has more pizza ovens than nuclear reactors. France has more dry cleaners than car washes. Germans eat more pretzels than vitamins.

Monday, March 11, 2024
Usually, when I'm out with a guy or two, they are almost as antiquated as I am.  Tonight, for a welcome change, Samuel Fuchs went to dinner and a Ranger game with me. Sam is Stuyvesant '14, Michigan '18 and then joined the U.S. Navy to see the world. In fact, he even got to see Madeira among many other exotic ports of call.

Before the game, we ate at bb.q Chicken, 25 West 32nd Street, a reliable Korean chicken joint, lots of seating, very casual. It offers fried whole chickens, wings and boneless pieces in a dozen different flavors, varying in spiciness. 

The food is cooked, boxed and sitting in a heated cabinet waiting for you. I had boneless Caribbean Spice, coated in a sweet and spicy jerk sauce ($13.99).  Cans of Diet Pepsi are $1.75. Tax on everything.

As much as we enjoyed dinner, the Rangers 3-1 victory left an even better taste.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024
An errand took us to the Bronx today and at lunchtime, we headed to Zero Otto Nove, 2357 Arthur Avenue, a large space that looks like a wine cellar with the barrels missing. It is the first of four casual restaurants created by Chef Roberto Paciullo, owner/operator of the wonderful Roberto’s Restaurant, 603 Crescent Avenue, a block away. 

I had the Patate Salsiccia & Provola Pizza, with sliced potatoes, sausage and smoked mozzarella, more than one normal human being should try to finish ($20.95). This unusual, tomato-less concoction was delicious, just wear an expandable waistband.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024
David Goldfarb, July 3, 1929 - March 13, 2024
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David was always interested in a good meal or a social event. Therefore, I did not hesitate to keep my date with Terrific Tom to have lunch today. We met at Tim Ho Wan, 610 Ninth Avenue, the Michelin-rated dim sum parlor.  Although it was the height of the Wednesday matinee lunch hour, we were seated immediately and we dug right in.

We shared everything, starting with hot and sour wonton soup, really hot and sour ($8.75). Then, it was a mutual favorite, Baked BBQ Pork Buns, 3 for $8.75, and what we agreed was a new favorite, Pan Fried Chicken Dumplings with Ginger Essence, 4 for $7.75. We pushed on with Deep Fried Spring Roll with Egg White and Shrimp, 3 for $7.75; Steamed Beef Ball with Bean Curd Skin, 3 for $7.75; Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow), 4 for $7.75. A good time was had by all.

 
Thursday, March 14, 2024
It might be Ï€ Day, but Michael Ratner and I acted as if it were Part II of yesterday’s lunch. We went to Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, 24 West 33rd Street, another Michelin-rated dim sum parlor, originating in Hong Kong.  Just like Tim Ho Wan, its food is excellent.

We shared Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, the house specialty, 6 for $11, not to be missed. Then, we had Noodle w. Scallion Sauce, $9.50, spiked with fried onions; Chicken Siu Mai, 4 for $7.50; Scallion Pancake w. Sliced Beef, a 9"x3" slab for $11.50. Again, two old men emerged happy. 

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“It is about Indigenous resistance” an artist explained why they (his chosen pronoun) inserted “Free Palestine” into an artwork. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/14/arts/design/whitney-biennial-art-palestinians-message-gaza.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

The artist, probably not a biblical scholar, sees to be unaware that Hebrews have been indigenous to the Israel/Palestine area for at least a couple of thousand years. 
 
Friday, March 15, 2024
So these rich people have a foundation and they decide to get some good publicity by giving an award and they put a name on the award that is otherwise not connected to them and they call it the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award and they give award to a cast of characters most likely to never be identified with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that is Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, Martha Stewart, Sylvester Stallone and Michael Milken, and her family has objected. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-award-elon-musk-rupert-murdoch-sylvester-stallone-martha-stewart-michael-milken?cid=ios_app 
 
To make it more female forward, maybe they need to add Ivanka Trump to their list.  

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Between the Lines

Saturday, March 2, 2024
Conservatism was shaped as a coherent political philosophy in the US by William F. Buckley, founder of the National Review.  Buckley was a Yale man whose erudition was always on display. Contrast that with some of today’s leading right wingers, J.D. Vance (Ohio State B.A., Yale J.D.), Ted Cruz (Princeton B.A., Harvard J.D.), Josh Hawley (Stanford B.A., Yale J.D.), who strive to be seen as oafs although guaranteed places at the elite trough. Then, there is Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, graduate of Southern Arkansas University, career college football coach before entering politics. He explained his restrictive view on immigration as based on “a million people every couple of months coming to this country that know nothing about God.”  
This warranted the senator being labeled “a world-class idiot.”

Sunday, March 3, 2024
A survey looked at 2,378 locations as prospective destinations for young home buyers, aged 25 to 34, you know 1/3 of me.  

It examined availability, affordability, job opportunities, commute time, culture and “liveliness” measures, among other factors, and found a very diverse group of attractive sites. At the top were Irondequoit, NY, Benton, AR, Winterset, IA and Newington, CT, all within larger metropolitan areas, both blue and red. This was somewhat positive real estate news, for a change.
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We went to see the matinee performance of “Jelly’s Last Jam,” a high energy musical that helped us overcome jet lag. I enjoyed the show, but had some trouble with the playbill. Along with performers, production folks and back office people, it listed a Sensitivity Specialist. Of course, I looked her up and found she had credits with several shows as an “Intimacy/Cultural Sensitivity consultant.” I forwarded her résumé to Senator Tuberville.
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After the theater, we went to Bengal Tiger Indian Food, 58 West 56th Street, for dinner. This was an accomplishment, because this narrow second floor joint doesn’t accept reservations and usually has a long wait for a table. Before five o’clock, we were able to sit right down, which wasn’t the case for those entering a few minutes later.

I had chicken saag, slightly overcooked chunks of white meat in spinach sauce ($18), naan ($4) and mango chutney ($5). Not bad as long as we didn’t have to wait.

Monday, March 4, 2024
What I did for love or what love did for me. The New York Rangers were playing the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden tonight and I had purchased tickets long in advance. As it happens, these two teams are at the very top of the National Hockey League, making this an important game. So, a 44-year old nephew of America’s Favorite Epidemiologist decided to get married for the first time this evening. Guess where I headed for?

Which turned out OK, because the Rangers lost 4-2, sparing me the direct exposure to agony. But, what if I were at the game offering enthusiastic support? Different result?

Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Stony Brook Steve and I went out to lunch on this cold, damp day, the kind of weather that makes you think of going on vacation. We ate the 74th Street Cafe at the Fairway Market, 2131 Broadway.  

I had the Breakfast Burger, Pat Lafrieda (locally prominent butcher) burger, over easy egg, maple bacon, cheddar cheese, avocado aioli, arugula and tomato on a brioche bun, the last two items on the side, with French fries ($17). The hefty burger is a good deal, nearly impossible to hold in your hand. Be wary of the Diet Coke, however, the smallest bottle you have ever seen for $2.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024
If it’s midtown, it must be Urban Hawker, 135 West 50th Street, the block-long food court with 17 vendors rooted in Singapore. It’s always proved more than satisfactory and today it really excelled.  I ordered from Prawnaholic, advertising that it was founded by Chef Alan, a beloved chap no doubt.

I had an enormous portion of Singapore Hokkien Mee, angel hair noodles in a delicious, soupy sauce, shrimp, eggs, chicken, calamari in a barrel shape that I have never seen before, and something crunchy ($18). Singaporean cuisine encompasses almost all of Asia. This dish is Fujian Chinese and lost nothing in the translation.

Thursday, March 7, 2024
That spunky old Rupert Murdoch is at it again. The 92-year old guy just got engaged to be married for the fifth time.  

The 25-year age difference between him and his beloved is apparently inconsequential. There is no truth to the rumor that they have to get married.
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Oh, boy.  I just realized that I have been going to B&H Dairy, 127 Second Avenue, for over 60 years.  
That makes it a very old restaurant.

Friday, March 8, 2024
Last month was the warmest February on record.  
 
Donald Trump claims that his candidacy is the reason for this.
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I just can’t imagine a better bargain in the Northern Hemisphere than the hot dog at Costco. I was at their atypical location at 517 East 117th, part of a multi-story, vertical shopping center, at lunchtime today, because of what I forgot to do on my visit there yesterday. I had the quarter-pound, all-beef hot  dog with the infinitely refillable fountain drink for $1.50. May I repeat, $1.50 for a hot dog and drink, a price that has held for years. What has changed is the hot dog. It used to a Hebrew National Kosher hot dog for $1.50 until 2008, when Costco brought production in house to maintain the price. While no longer Kosher, the hot dog is still all beef, as required by our fussy Jewish law.  You’d never know the difference.
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As more schools return to using the Scholastic Aptitude Tests as part of their admission process, it will now be entirely digital, administered on computer.  
My mastery of the #2 pencil would now be useless.


Saturday, March 2, 2024

Madeira, My Dear

Saturday, February 24, 2024
Madeira's international airport is located outside Funchal (foon chahl), the capital, home to about half the island's 260,000 population. It is named the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport for a famous living person, yet one unknown to many of us North Americans. He is a 39-year old professional soccer player, one of the best ever, born in Madeira, but of course. His #7 jersey is omnipresent in much of Europe since he played for several leading teams.
. . .

The second most famous person born in Madeira was John Dos Passos's grandfather, an unlikely lure for holiday seekers. How about Eli Manning International Airport, once known as Newark?

. . .

In my experience, the ride from an airport is usually pretty dull, especially after a long, wearying international flight. Madeira is different. Unless you keep your eyes shut, you vividly encounter the island’s dramatic topography. It is very hilly, rising 6,300 feet at its highest point, with deep valleys cutting through. There are only rare stretches of flat ground or straight paths. 

Photographers thrive, while those of us prone to vertigo squirm. It's exciting in any case.   

. . .

Our large, modern hotel is right at the Atlantic Ocean, designed to give every room an ocean view. Similar properties bracket it. It has all the amenities you might expect, indoor pool, outdoor pool, spa, several bars, lots of space to sprawl.

Our tour group consists of 5 men, all attached; 15 women, either attached to the men, attached to each other, attached to reluctant husbands at home, or unattached. All but one of us seems eligible for Social Security. They come from all over; no region predominates. The most popular hometown is not New York, but Rochester, that is if you combine Rochester, New York and Rochester, Minnesota. We had our first dinner together at the hotel, ordinary and unworthy of documenting except for the buffet dessert bar, which provided six delightful treats without exhausting the possibilities.

Sunday, February 25, 2024
Touring began today, although we spent the first hour in a hotel conference room learning about Madeira's history. It was discovered by Portuguese sailors in 1419, driven off course by a storm. While there is some evidence that it might have been discovered earlier, it was uninhabited, a real surprise that there were no indigenous people to decimate. It was heavily forested, though. Madeira means wood in Portuguese. Today, housing, grapevines, sugar cane and banana plants cover much of the land.  

. . .

We lunched together at a country villa, surrounded by vineyards. The setting was special, the food not, as I expect every group meal to be. Dessert was a very good passion fruit mousse, however. It is worth noting that every group lunch and dinner is accompanied by unlimited wine.

Afterwards, we visited Museu da Baleia da Madeira, the Madeira Whale Museum. Whaling was active on Madeira for only 45 years, succumbing to international pressure in 1985. The museum presents a detailed, non-judgemental examination of whaling.  Whatever else, it was very hard work.

Monday, February 26, 2024
It was a bit early for wine tasting, but we started the morning at the Madeira Wine Company, a family enterprise founded and operated by the Blandy family since 1811. Madeira, I learned, is a method of making a fortified wine exclusive to the island. Several local grapes are used, but only one to a batch. Years may be mixed and the wine labeled with the average. I was taken with the single year Harvest 2016 Malmsey Coelheita Madeira, so I bought a bottle. Come over and try some.

. . .

I was apprehensive about the next group activity, a ride on the Funchal cable car, rising 560 meters over a distance of 3,200 meters.

While my BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) was cured last year, I still suffer from a touch of AHV (Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo), fear of heights. I cringe at the edge of a deep drop and a little cable car does not seem to be sufficiently protective. However, as Elizabeth Warren did in the face of Mitch McConnell, I persisted and had a lovely ride.

. . .

This very busy day continued with a visit to the Madeira Botanical Garden, an 80,000 m2 park (nearly 20 acres), privately created, but open to the public. It was splendid. Madeira seems naturally conducive to vegetation and over 2,000 exotic species from around the world are thriving in this garden.

. . .

At last a good meal, not a great meal, but a good meal. Indian Palace, Estrada Monumental 197, is one steep staircase above our hotel. Its 30 tables filled up before we finished. The menu was conventional and the prices were reasonable. I had the Indian Palace Biryani, a large serving, very tasty, containing chicken, lamb and shrimp, just slightly overcooked (€14.50). I drank a pint of local draft beer with it (€3.90). Madam had Palak Paneer, cubes of cheese in pureed spinach (€8.90). Worth a climb up the stairs.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Speaking of Alabama, it’s interesting how its Supreme Court has extended the right to life to an invisible cell cluster while its public health system is unable to offer reasonable protection to women in childbirth. Alabama has the nation’s highest maternal mortality rate, denying Mississippi its normal last place.  https://milkeninstitute.org/report/maternal-mortality-vulnerable-us-communities

. . .

We drove up to nearly the highest point on the island, which requires acknowledgment of our driver who maneuvers our bus, twice as large as needed, up and down, in and out, around and about roads that combine the worst features of the Pacific Coast Highway and the Amalfi Coast.

From the dizzying heights, we went down to the seacoast for lunch next to the roaring surf. Dessert was vanilla ice cream over fresh fruit salad.

. . .

We visited Quinta da Casa Branca, home to a British family that pioneered the wine trade. Consistent with its character, we had a traditional afternoon tea, little sandwiches, petit fours, scones, clotted cream, raspberry jam. Lady and Lord Kennington, our London friends, would have felt completely at home.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Even at a distance, we get news of American politics. What I learned about the Michigan primary:
Trump 68% = Triumph
Biden 81% = Tragedy

. . .

We began the day with an interesting discussion of Madeiran economics, politics, educational and social issues. Much of it is a subset of Portugal’s with higher salaries and better weather. 

. . .

After a visit to Jardin do Lago, another lovely botanical garden, we got back to our hotel early and I not only had a nap, but I sat in a whirlpool bath for a bit, trying to loosen up some of my kinky limbs.

. . .

Dinner tonight wasn't bad. I enjoyed my dessert, passion fruit mousse with ice cream, special order. I'm not writing up the group meals, because it's not what you would get walking in the door, for better or worse.

Thursday, February 29, 2024
They call them toboggans, wicker chairs on wooden runners, pushed and pulled by men in white pants and straw hats, looking like errant gondoliers. You ride down a steep hill on a road still used by vehicular traffic, adding a frisson of excitement on the 2 kilometer run. It’s definitely a tourist “must” and good fun.

. . .

We drove back up to a 1,400 meter peak for a nature walk that was compromised by steady rain, although it didn’t rain in the bus where I sat reading a Parker novel by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark.

. . .

Madam and I had lunch on our own at il Basílico, Rua de Leichlingen 9, an Italian restaurant feet from the Atlantic Ocean. We sat outside where it was sunny and mild, a dramatic contrast from the morning’s rain and wind. I had the Vesuvio pizza, mozzarella, pepperoni, anchovies, black olives, capers (€18), very much worth it.

. . .

The group’s farewell dinner was at Restaurante Goya, Rua Simplício dos Passos Gouveia, a relatively posh place. The meal almost transcended being prepared in bulk.  We started with spinach ravioli in a garlicky cream sauce. I had a roasted duck quarter, leg and thigh, with little fat or waste.  Dessert seemed a mix of the inevitable passion fruit mousse and tiramisu. Definitely a good ending to our holiday.

Friday, March 1, 2024
While some of our fellow travelers have to leave the hotel as early as 2 A.M., we are blessed with a civilized 9:30 A.M. departure for a noon flight. We are scheduled to arrive at JFK at 7:45 in the evening, in time for me to polish this text before the usual Saturday morning publication.
 
In fact, we landed at 7:20 P.M. after an extraordinary flight on Azores Airlines 4247. What was extraordinary was 51 passengers on an Airbus 321Neo, which is usually configured for 244 passengers.

Photo credits - Carolyn Berge

1 = $1.08