Dr. Kudlow's Diagnosis

Monday, February 24, 2020
From https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/opinion/sunday/immigration-trump-refugees.html
"My Jewish mother fled Poland in 1933.  My Christian father fled Syria two years earlier.  They met and married in Argentina, whose right-wing dictatorship imprisoned and almost killed my sister.  By giving us a home, the United States saved our lives.  Would it do the same today?"

. . .

An essay this weekend warned the Democrats against "a brokered convention, in which the votes of uncommitted 'superdelegates' or alliances formed among certain candidates are necessary to put someone over the top.  And it would be a nightmare scenario for the Democratic Party, which is deep into a bad dream already, because it would invite further cynicism, second-guessing, cries of illegitimacy and irresolution in a country that’s paralyzed by all of that."  

I think that this is upside down, since the alternative is a candidate favored only by a minority of primary voters and caucus-goers (Caucasians?) getting the nomination.  Imagine the "second-guessing, cries of illegitimacy and irresolution" that would result in that case.
. . .

How can you concentrate when you go to the theater Saturday night to see a revival of "Mack & Mabel," a failed musical from 1974, that co-starred Bernadette Peters, pronounced "a major Broadway star" in the New York Times review and who is sitting right in front of you but Bernadette Peters? 
. . .

There is apparently a presidential election in November.  The choice boils down to Him or Not Him.  The real estate section this weekend offered help in (worst) case it's Him, by providing price information on home values in more than 70 countries.
https://nyti.ms/3bTwg28

The results are all over the map, literally and figuratively.  Hong Kong saw the greatest appreciation in home values in the last 10 years ending in the third quarter of 2019.  Of course, this was before the local police had finished creasing the skulls of protestors and coronavirus became a household term. 

If you are looking for a safe haven, property values are only one factor to consider along with the political climate and the number of cable channels.
. . .

I met Max, the retired Wonder Boy, for lunch at Pelicana Premium Chicken, 47-08 Greenpoint Avenue, Sunnyside, Korean fried chicken specialists.  I didn't know about this joint (and it really looks like a joint inside and outside) until I made this date with Max, but I learned that Pelicana has thousands of outlets in Korea and 10 local spots.  

The menu offers white meat or dark meat chicken, fried, crispy fried or broiled, bone-in or boneless, with 10 sauces.  I had a crispy fried chicken sandwich, topped with lettuce, pickle, ranch dressing and a fried egg ($10).  It was wonderful, messy, gooey, but skip spending $3 extra for a handful of potato chips. 

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Jeffrey Heller is a true warrior for human rights, particularly the rights of immigrants and refugees.  As a lawyer, he provides pro bono services and, more dramatically, he takes long, cross-country fund-raising bike rides for the cause.  At lunch today, he told me that his next ride will take him from Seattle, Washington to Provo, Utah starting in mid-April.  He blogs along the way and you can follow him at rideforhumanrights.com.

We met for lunch at Miznon North, 161 West 72nd Street, which has a variety of vegetarian dishes, as Jeffrey prefers.  Actually, we shared the first course that Miznon requires, the beet carpaccio that I tout on anyone's first visit and the most delicious baked sweet potato that I've ever tasted.  We diverged on the main course, Jeff having a salad and I the "minute steak," slivers of grilled beef over a pool of tahini ($25).  Remember to ask for bread if not served with your dish.  It's outstanding. 

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

“'There’s a very good chance you’re not going to die,' Mr. Trump said about the [coronavirus] outbreak at a news conference in India on Tuesday."

. . .

I visited Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law this afternoon, where I received my law degree in 2001 (yes, that late in life).  I was the guest of Katherine Gillette, a Director of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs, who was probably expecting to meet some ganzer knocker, rather than this pisher.  Nevertheless, she was attentive to me and gave me valuable information about the Ruth Gotthelf Scholarship at Cardozo, established in 2000, when I was a 3L and my mother was alive and kicking at age 91.  Since then it has made grants averaging just under $3,500 to 10 students over 40-years old, several repeating.  And, I am thrilled to report that, thanks to the generosity of many of you and wise investing that I had absolutely nothing to do with, the principal has grown over the years. 

So, in order to make the good news (what a rarity) better, allow me to make a pitch for donations to the scholarship fund.  In Hebrew, chai is the number 18, the 18th letter of the alphabet and the word for Life, not a flavored tea.  Accordingly, cash gifts are often given in multiples of chai and that would be most appropriate.

Katherine Gillette
Ruth Gotthelf Scholarship

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

55 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10003

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Stony Brook Steve and I went to lunch at La Salle Dumpling Room, 35 West End Avenue, which holds no more than 30 people.  Today, the walls were bursting with Sarah's ninth birthday party, but the two grandfathers found room to squeeze in. 

Given the noise level of the little darlings, we has to order by pointing to the menu.  I enjoyed cold sesame noodles ($9.50) and popcorn chicken with peanuts ($12.95), while Steve disliked his shredded pork with tofu ($15.95), but we were both ignored when the cupcakes were given out. 

Friday, February 28, 2020

Larry Kudlow, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council, said that the coronavirus outbreak "is not going to last forever.”  Neither, for that matter, will Larry Kudlow.