Monday, October 28, 2019
From: Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
If you see something, say nothing.
. . .
"Both today and in the past, many immigrants earn less than U.S.-born workers upon first arrival and do not completely catch up in a single generation. But their children do. No matter when their parents came to the U.S. or what country they came from, children of immigrants have higher rates of upward mobility than their U.S.-born peers."
https://economics.princeton.
"Norwegians, whom President Trump has held up as model immigrants, were in fact among the least successful after they arrived."
. . .
"49 Jews were killed, an untold number of Jewish women were raped, and 1,500 Jewish homes were damaged," according to Steven J. Zipperstein, author of Kishinev and the Tilt of History. A second pogrom in Kishiniev took place on 19-20 October 1905, resulting in at least 19 more deaths. However, this was one of hundreds of pogroms that swept Russia, some originating as anti-government demonstrations responding to broadly oppressive measures, with Jews as the victims from above and below. In retrospect, these events are viewed as one event.
Zipperstein will be speaking at West End Synagogue, 190 Amsterdam Avenue (at 69th Street), the home of my fellow anarchic Jews, on Wednesday, November 6th at 7 PM.
I am obliged to record a vigorous dissent from my enthusiastic regard for Miznon North, 161 West 72nd Street, the new Israeli restaurant (October 21, 2019, September 18, 2019). America's Favorite Epidemiologist and friend Margie S. had dinner there tonight. They said that the food was okay, but the dinner menu is entirely à la carte and expensive, not matching the bundled two courses at lunch.
Madam was most annoyed at the conduct of the host. Sitting alone until Margie arrived, the host plopped down opposite her unasked and began extolling the spiritual character of the food and the emotional connection of the chef to his menu. While I am the spiritual-free member of our household, my young bride usually prefers to feed body and soul separately. On the other hand, my lunches have been free of harassment. Maybe the goblins only come out at night.
"The new research shows that some 150 million people are now living on land that will be below the high-tide line by midcentury." Colorado, here we come.
There are some facts that would be a hopeless guess for me. According to the weekend real estate section, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, a national firm with a strong local presence, employs 2,773 real estate agents in the Holy Land. Doesn't that seem like a lot to you?
. . .
. . .
From: Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
To: All Department of State Employees
. . .
"Both today and in the past, many immigrants earn less than U.S.-born workers upon first arrival and do not completely catch up in a single generation. But their children do. No matter when their parents came to the U.S. or what country they came from, children of immigrants have higher rates of upward mobility than their U.S.-born peers."
https://economics.princeton.
"Norwegians, whom President Trump has held up as model immigrants, were in fact among the least successful after they arrived."
. . .
Speaking of immigrants, my grandfathers came to the USA in 1905-06 from Eastern Europe, along with many other Jewish grandfathers or great-grandfathers. History determined this. Russia was being pummeled in the Russo-Japanese War, the Czar was indignant and imposed harsh measures particularly on the Jews. But before the government aimed at the Jews, the populace had expressed itself in the Kishiniev Pogrom, a murderous riot in Bessarabia, now Moldova, on 6-9 April 1903, beginning on Easter Sunday.
"49 Jews were killed, an untold number of Jewish women were raped, and 1,500 Jewish homes were damaged," according to Steven J. Zipperstein, author of Kishinev and the Tilt of History. A second pogrom in Kishiniev took place on 19-20 October 1905, resulting in at least 19 more deaths. However, this was one of hundreds of pogroms that swept Russia, some originating as anti-government demonstrations responding to broadly oppressive measures, with Jews as the victims from above and below. In retrospect, these events are viewed as one event.
Zipperstein will be speaking at West End Synagogue, 190 Amsterdam Avenue (at 69th Street), the home of my fellow anarchic Jews, on Wednesday, November 6th at 7 PM.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Turnstyle is the commercial development of a previously-deserted two-block underground passage at the southern end of the Columbus Circle subway station. It contains about 40 shops, mostly for food, simple booths or kiosks. I have previously praised the beef brisket sandwich at Bolivian
Llama Party and the chicken concoction at Chick'nCone, while only mildly pleased by the Chinese food at Zai Lai Homestyle Taiwanese. There's still sushi, pizza, ramen, pasta, dumplings, frozen yogurt and tie-dyed chocolate chip cookies, among other treats still to be sampled.
About those cookies -- They put vivid food colors in different lumps of dough and twist them together before baking. I haven't eaten them yet, but I had a Venezuelan-style arepa today at Arepa Factory. An arepa is a cornmeal disc, baked, fried or grilled. I chose the version called La Potra, shredded flank beef, avocado and shredded cheddar cheese in a folded arepa ($9.95 if you pay cash, add 3.99% for a credit card). It's difficult to eat it out of your hand without making a mess, but a good tasting mess.
. . .
. . .
I am obliged to record a vigorous dissent from my enthusiastic regard for Miznon North, 161 West 72nd Street, the new Israeli restaurant (October 21, 2019, September 18, 2019). America's Favorite Epidemiologist and friend Margie S. had dinner there tonight. They said that the food was okay, but the dinner menu is entirely à la carte and expensive, not matching the bundled two courses at lunch.
Madam was most annoyed at the conduct of the host. Sitting alone until Margie arrived, the host plopped down opposite her unasked and began extolling the spiritual character of the food and the emotional connection of the chef to his menu. While I am the spiritual-free member of our household, my young bride usually prefers to feed body and soul separately. On the other hand, my lunches have been free of harassment. Maybe the goblins only come out at night.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Elaine Berg, R.I.P.
. . .
. . .
For a little encouragement, "research suggests that friends can change our view of a
challenging situation, and that the mere presence of a friend in the
same room can lower our stress. Having friends essentially allows us to
outsource some of the emotional burdens of daily life."
a/k/a "Social support reduces cardiovascular reactivity to psychological challenge: a laboratory model."
. . .
. . .
Actually, having a friend nearby may be insufficient to deal with at least one growing crisis. The New York Times headline warns us "Rising Seas Will Erase More Cities by 2050, New Research Shows."
https://www.nytimes.com/
https://www.nytimes.com/
"The new research shows that some 150 million people are now living on land that will be below the high-tide line by midcentury." Colorado, here we come.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Food or flu?
I had lunch today with Max, Wonder Boy Emeritus, at a Chinese restaurant in Queens. When I got home an hour later, I immediately threw up. However, I am withholding the name of the joint, because I was feeling decidedly peckish even before lunch. I probably won't rush back, though. I have eaten at countless hundreds of Chinese restaurants in this century; I documented meals at over 300 in the last years that I worked in the court system, 2010-2015. I never got sick.
. . .
Those of us New Yorkers of a certain age remember when Barneys, the fashion retailer, still had an apostrophe and was known as Barney's Boys Town. It moved on and came to "represent[] a very specific, and mythic, Manhattan ethos; it was the
first to introduce names such as Armani, Alaia, Comme des Garcons,
Louboutin and Zegna," in the words of the New York Times, discussing its bankruptcy. Its new owner promises to "build[] a business model that will adapt this legendary brand for the future of experiential luxury." If I understood what this meant, I would probably bet against it.
This (erstwhile) New Yorker of a certain age plus a little, remembers Barney's as incessant radio ads calling attention to its location: 7th Avenue and 17th Street. As I recall, its appeal was to the thrifty, not the fashionable. When did things change? Or is my memory faulty, as it frequently is?
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