Monday, November 30, 2020
This appeared over the weekend. "3 Ways to Use Up Thanksgiving Stuffing Leftovers." https://nyti.ms/375uyZR
Who has leftover stuffing? There is never leftover stuffing. Turkey, for sure. Sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce (often forgotten in the refrigerator and never served), even some dessert, if you are lucky, but stuffing, nada, rien, gar nisht, zippo. How cruel to even suggest it.
. . .
Like so many Americans, committed to a republican form of government, I am devoted to "The Crown," the Netflix series throwing elegant mud on the British monarchy. There was a fleeting moment, though, in Season 4 Episode 2 when I felt a modicum of sympathy for Margaret Thatcher, the dominatrix of British politics in the 1980s. It paralleled the numerous times in the last several decades when, in attendance at the B'nai Mizvah of some budding adolescent, I had to endure screeching 'tweens playing "Coke & Pepsi," a chaotic, vague derivative of "Musical Chairs." I felt Mrs. Thatcher's pain in being forced into a game of "Ibble Dibble" with members of the Royal Family. https://youtu.be/yx-tPsN2w7Y
If you would like to bring some blue-blooded fun into your next family gathering, see https://www.thrillist.com/
For another view of "The Crown," try this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
. . .
When the New York Times asked readers what they thought was the greatest challenge facing Biden, "the most common answer: the need to heal a divided country." Bush Wah! What other president was implored to unite us? George W. Bush, unrelated to Bush Wah, claimed to be a uniter, which elicited no more than snickers from his opponents.
Since the end of WWII, this country has been united only for a few hours in 1963, after the Kennedy assassination, in 1969, after the moon landing, and in 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center. Division has prevailed otherwise. I believe that so many voters were attracted to Trump by his belligerence and provocativeness to his opponents. Could he, would he ever be expected to make nice to the majority of voters who voted against him?
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
D-Day, really P-Day, the long-awaited opening of Pastrami Queen, 154 West 72nd Street. Well, as of noon today, it was P-Not Day. The windows covered; only a delivery guy going in, not followed by any customers. It looks like we will just have to wait a little longer for heartburn.
. . .
I am in love. I am in love with Yuval Noah Harari, author of the improbable monster best seller “Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind.” I haven’t read his book and I find the title a little off-putting. After all, Mel Brooks merely called his film “History of the World: Part 1.” Admittedly, I wasn’t in love with Harari when I Zoomed into the discussion of "Religion and Religious Extremism Throughout History,” conducted yesterday at noon by IRAC, the Israel Religious Action Center, a leading civil and human rights organization in that country. By the way, IRAC is also the best method to answer essay questions on the bar examination -- Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion.
In less than one hour, sharing time with another speaker, Harari offered brilliant insights into religion generally and Judaism specifically. He said the sort of things that had me nodding vigorously and muttering Yeah, Sure, Right, impatient to claim his ideas as my very own. Treat yourself to the original, before you start hearing it from me. https://m.youtube.com/watch?
. . .
Speaking of royal families, here's the opposite of a fairy tale, at least so far. "For Princess Mako of Japan, Official Wedding May Be Distant Prospect." https://nyti.ms/3lj22ZD
The eldest daughter of Japan's Crown Prince Akishino has been engaged since 2017 to a young man who has been hanging out right down the block at Fordham Law School. Her father has withheld official permission for the wedding, because "it’s not the case that many people approve and are happy about it.” Those "people" are apparently a mix of the general public and members of the imperial family. I hope that they settle this soon, because I have a coupon from Bed, Bath and Beyond that's set to expire soon.
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
I got my Hanukkah gift today, a recumbent exercise bicycle. Until the coronavirus confinement began in March, I would normally spend 30 minutes each weekday morning on a recumbent exercise bicycle in our building's gym, a small, but well-equipped facility in the basement. Although it had two television sets, I would invariably read while pedaling in place. This ended, along with so many other features of normal life as we took on an unfamiliar set of precautions.
The result was safety, at least from the dangerous infection. However, it took its toll. My once rock-hard, sculpted physique has dissolved into a puddle of protoplasm. Physical exertion could not be exerted. At the urging of Professor David Webber, whose knowledge of kinesiology rivals his knowledge of corporate law, I ordered the exercise bicycle and will pedal my way into a healthier future.
Thursday, December 3, 2020
In a telephone conversation yesterday, Lord Kennington, anchored to his attractive 18th Century London home, said that his first destination once free to roam would be Sicily. My goal, far closer, is Chinatown. By coincidence, today's paper provides a walk through Chinatown conducted by the director of the Museum of Chinese in America. https://nyti.ms/39yfsia
Answer = TEAPOT
In addition to the dozen contemporary photographs in the print edition, the Internet version has a handful of then-and-now images. As a result of the years spent on my lunch hour exploring the area while working in the neighborhood, much of it was familiar to me. That, however, did not curb my desire to return as soon as prudently possible.
In the article, Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic of the New York Times, says that Columbus Park is "one of my favorite spots in the city." Which reminded of the sign hung on a gate of the park describing the renovation of the park early in the 2000s, crediting the landscape architecture to Bill Gotthelf. For years, I parked this factoid away until I read Kimmelman's comment.
Google quickly found Bill with his own firm in Colorado and I called with a message denying any interest in a loan or even his Social Security number. I hope that I aroused his curiosity sufficiently to generate a return call.
. . .
The late A.J. Liebling was a superb journalist for The New Yorker, now gone for well over 50 years. You may recognize his insight that "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." Another important observation of his was "There is no concept more generally cherished by publishers than that of the Undeserving Poor," publishers, I believe, being anyone who addresses the public. This colors opinions about providing a minimum level of support for all members of society, many of us eager to measure the worthiness of those in need or to challenge the legitimacy of their claim, regardless of the words of the Good Book vol. 1 and/or vol. 2.
The flip side is the deserving rich, the often uncritical acceptance of the accumulation of wealth, without concern for its source or how it's put to use. Need we look beyond the K family or the T family to demonstrate how the public is attracted to vulgar displays of wealth?
This comes to mind when I read that "1 Percent of P.P.P. Borrowers Got Over One-Quarter of the Loan Money." https://nyti.ms/3lqRXdm Put simply, the rich get richer, again.
Friday, December 4, 2020
21 Down - Leaves home?
. . .
Normally, I am only concerned with how one epidemiologist is living and making efforts to ensure her comfort. The New York Times casts its net much further and examines "How 700 Epidemiologists Are Living Now, and What They Think Is Next." https://www.nytimes.com/
It turns out that, along with America's Favorite Epidemiologist, they are taking a conservative posture to their health and that of society generally. "Most said that even with vaccines, it would probably take a year or more
for many activities to safely restart, and that some parts of their
lives may never return to the way they were." I guess that means that we are likely to miss the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally again next year.
. . .
Some good news, for a change. Around noon, Bill Gotthelf returned my call and we had a delightful conversation for 20 minutes, truncated only by my need to meet Stony Brook Steve for an outdoor, socially-distanced lunch. While I am not optimistic that we will establish a common ancestry, he sounded intelligent and sensitive enough that I may claim him as another limb on the family oak.
. . .
Here is an amazing story that presents a challenging politico-philosophical issue. "Girl Is Born in Tennessee From Embryo Frozen for 27 Years." https://nyti.ms/2L6VFwg
Molly Gibson emerged from an embryo created in 1992. Mazel Tov to the Gibson family, of course. My question, though, is how old is she? According to many who oppose abortion, life begins at conception. Should we ignore the extraordinary gestation period, or should Molly be allowed to vote immediately? Will she satisfy the requirement of Article II of the U.S. Constitution and be able to run for President in another 8 years? Just asking.
. . .
Answer = TEAPOT
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