Saturday, April 21, 2018

Gatherings

Monday, April 16, 2018
Time passes while in many instances real estate appreciates in value.  Here is a survey that connects the two, expressing the median rise in home value by location as an hourly rate.  It's as if you could stay home and let your house go to work for you, although you can’t take equity to the supermarket.

For 2017, 6 of the top 10 “earners” were in California.  All 10 of them voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 by large margin.  Just saying. https://www.citylab.com/equity/2016/12/mapping-how-americas-metro-areas-voted/508313/
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Over the weekend, the New York Times had an essay entitled “How Skydiving Cured My Depression.”  Had I written it, the subhead would have been “Replaced By Hysteria.”
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In an effort to stay close to the center of power, I had lunch with Irwin Pronin, 1962 CCNY Student Government President.  We ate at Swagat, 411 Amsterdam Avenue, a reliable Indian restaurant. We both ordered Brunch Specials, served daily, one appetizer, one curry, rice and naan for $14.95, a very good deal.  I had lamb samosa and chicken saag. While this made for an ample lunch, we both had just enough room to go across the street to Amorino, 414 Amsterdam Avenue, the local branch of an international gelato empire, which I have patronized in London and Paris.  My Classic cup ($6.45) held two flavors, stracciatella (how the Italians spell chocolate chip) and L’inimitable (a wonderful chocolate hazelnut). They were among the 15 gelati and 10 sorbets available.
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Today’s paper has an article “Whose Neighborhood Should Get a Street Named for Dr. King?” It centers on a dispute in Kansas City, Missouri,

The African-American mayor of Kansas City proposes naming a major thoroughfare that crosses through a variety of neighborhoods for Martin Luther King, Jr., against the vocal opposition of some African-American community leaders, who feel possessive of Dr. King's legacy.  The mayor wisely states that “Is Martin Luther King strictly a black hero? I would say not. I think he’s a hero for everybody, and he ought to be honored that way.”

Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Burt from Borough Park, Shelley the Neighbor, Stony Brook Steve, Tom Terrific, Uncle Stu, Uncle Myron, Aunt Martha and Cousin Harry joined America’s Favorite Epidemiologist and me, as well as numerous students and faculty, at Brooklyn Law School this afternoon to hear Professor David Webber discuss his new book “The Rise of the Working-Class Shareholder.”  His presentation was learned, cogent and persuasively reasoned, giving examples of the socially conscious use of the billions of dollars held by labor union pension funds.

Thursday, April 19, 2018
The Boyz Club gathered at Jing Fong, 20 Elizabeth Street, for a dim sum experience.  As expected, it was a success. Five of us had 14 plates, 12 unique dishes; bottom line, $18 each.  

Jing Fong remains a reliable source of a very large assortment of dim sum items at reasonable prices.  During weekdays, most items cost $3.50, usually three pieces to a plate. The joint is also enormous. It is a full block long and I think that it is the largest restaurant in New York City.  I would suggest though that it is not the place to tell your significant other “It's not you, it's me.”

Friday, April 20, 2018
In noodling around the Internet, I came up with some interesting “Best of” lists.  Condé Nast Traveler offers an eclectic list of New York's best restaurants.  https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-restaurants-in-new-york-city
It earns my respect by including Russ & Daughters Cafe, 127 Orchard Street, alongside some more rarefied choices. Russ & Daughters Cafe is an adjunct to its legendary appetizing store at 179 East Houston Street. In case the term is unfamiliar to you, Wikipedia informs us that "[a]n appetizing store, typically in reference to Jewish cuisine, is best understood as a store that sells 'the foods one eats with bagels.'"  Fifty years ago, I dated one of the Daughters' daughters.  It didn't last and I've had to buy my own lox ever since.

NYC.com is a multi-faceted website that provides broad information resources as well as hotel and theater services. Notably, it has about 100 lists of best restaurants by cuisine, location and special features. https://www.nyc.com/best-of-new-york/best_restaurants_in_nyc.2166/. There's a lot to argue with, but the sheer volume of information should delight you. Best Theater District Restaurants? Best Meatballs in New York? Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants in New York? It also recaps the city's Michelin-starred, New York Times four star, and James Beard Award restaurants.
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Roger Cohen has an essay on Gaza, the Palestinian condition and the failure of Israeli leadership that almost perfectly reflects my views. https://nyti.ms/2JcYlST The only thing that I would add is the failure of the Arab world generally to support their brethren. Neighboring states seem content to stand aside while rioters burn tires and try to outrun Israeli bullets rather than make any serious attempt to aid in the building of a civil society.

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