Sunday, April 3, 2022
Joe Biden traveled to Europe and especially Poland recently to underline his policy on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While his proximity to the conflict produced some drama, he missed an opportunity to show his empathy for the many displaced Ukrainians in Polish border towns. He could have taken the trouble to throw pierogies into the crowd.
. . .
I have just learned of a survey on loneliness in the United States, particularly where are people the most and the least lonely. Which states actually placed where seemed completely random, as the surveyors note. Florida -- second most lonely, in spite of all the golf courses; Alaska -- second least lonely, in spite of all the bears. https://aginginplace.org/
It makes for interesting, but fuzzy, reading.
. . .
There is some more information about people that I have just come across. People
who grow up in predictable, gridlike cities like Chicago or New York
seem to struggle to navigate as easily as those who come from more rural
areas or more intricate cities. In other words, growing up with a sense of order and reason ill-prepares you for the modern world. https://www.nature.com/
Monday, April 4, 2022
My cousin Michael Goldenberg is a suburban New Jersey resident and, therefore, more likely to navigate the modern world than I am. His (dis)location also means that he will put up with almost anything for good Kosher delicatessen, even if he has to put up with me again. Friday, we went together to Ben's Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant, 209 West 38th Street, for dinner. Today, with his lovely wife Gerri, we had lunch at Pastrami Queen, 138 West 72nd Street. We were lured by the Monday Special, pastrami on rye with a can of Dr. Brown's soda for $16.95, more than $5 less than the rest of the week, a deal that I have enjoyed several times.
However, today, a certain literalism crept in. Previously, a corned beef sandwich was considered the functional equivalent of a pastrami sandwich, but not today. Pastrami, a discount; corned beef, retail. We coped.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Tonight, madam and I had dinner at Casa Vallarta, 45 Belmont Street, Northborough, Massachusetts, for the second time in almost exactly two months. That could only mean one thing, our automotive saga was reaching a conclusion, since the restaurant sits across the highway from Lexus of Northborough, an institution similar to Chase Bank only in receiving our funds, but never dispensing them.
I had Fajitas Tres Tiro ($22.99), translated as three shots of fajitas, although the portion sizes came closer to cannonades. One large plate was loaded with rice, beans, sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese and chopped tomatoes sitting next to another large plate loaded with grilled beef, chicken and shrimp, cooked with onions and peppers. A smaller plate of corn tortillas was provided to roll your own. Rolling was how I got out of there. My young bride had spinach enchiladas ($16.99) and, ignoring the accompanying starch, remained nimble.
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
We drove home in our new 2022 Lexus UX 250H, leaving behind our 2016 Lexus ES 300H and a lot of money. This acquisition is putting me to the test, like getting a puppy dog or having a baby, neither of which have I ever done successfully.
I purchased an Apple iPhone two weeks ago after two decades of Samsung usage; I started the installation of the Verizon FIOS TV One system on Monday, which remains incomplete; I took ownership yesterday of my third Lexus automobile in 14 years, each the same, but different. At this point, this 20th Century guy is having trouble keeping up with 21st Century ingenuity.
Thursday, April 7, 2022
A friend, formerly a Chicago and New York resident, sent me this article reporting on the cost of living around the world. https://www.nbcchicago.com/
The local television station seemed to be taking perverse pride that Chicago was allegedly a more expensive place to live than New York, a conclusion that I doubted. This sort of stuff intrigues me, so I went to the underlying source, https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/interactives/costofliving/.
The survey allows for city-to-comparisons and I was more interested in New York vs. London, where we had visited one month ago and found only theater tickets and bus rides cheaper. The survey, by contrast, consistently found London cheaper than New York, something that contradicted our immediate experience. For what it’s worth, this survey ain’t worth it.
. . .
My skepticism about Chicago's place in the ranks of trust fund babies was buoyed by another survey of US cities, how long would $1 million last in retirement.
Not surprisingly, insolvency would come soonest around Silicon Valley and the Holy Land. Chicago, rather than being notably expensive, placed 18th between Atlanta and Minneapolis.
I'm not suggesting that living in a setting most fitting for plutocrats is a desirable goal. But, in case you intend to abandon your concern for the good and welfare of your fellow citizens and pursue greed and avarice, you should know where to hang your hat.
You gave in to Apple empire!
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