Singin' In the Rain

Saturday, August 13, 2022 

This paper carries the hefty title of "Post-Consumption Susceptibility of Online Reviewers to Random Weather-Related Events"

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3228036

In a nutshell, it says: "Our analyses of various automated-sentiment measures for around 300,000 [hotel] review texts show a significant reduction in reviewer positivity, happiness, and arousal on rainy days."  What's with the arousal?

. . .

I'm a big hockey fan, but I still can’t tell the difference between the Canada Life Centre and the Canadian Tire Centre or the Scotiabank Saddledome and the Scotiabank Arena or Rogers Place and Rogers Arena.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Hockey_League_arenas

Sunday, August 14, 2022

A word that I learned today that I will probably never use in a sentence: Sedevacantism.

. . .

Last week, I provided information on the relocation of urban homeowners, people seeking to leave San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York to locations where the air conditioning has to run 24/7.  That’s not all that distinguishes the new nests.  They are places most likely to go from Deal to No Deal.

https://www.redfin.com/news/home-purchases-fall-through-2022/

It seems that in the rush to be surrounded by Republicans, some people fail to read the fine print.

. . .

There is an interesting quote in an essay about Ernst Lubitsch, the Hollywood director (“Ninotchka,” “The Shop Around the Corner,” “To Be or Not To Be”), in The New Yorker.  “I found Lubitsch to be the rare case of a major artist who becomes more likable the more one learns about him.”

Monday, August 15, 2022

My heart was aflutter when I learned last year that DiDi Dumpling was opening a branch at 201 Amsterdam Avenue, just across the moat from Palazzo di Gotthelf.    https://patch.com/new-york/upper-west-side-nyc/5-new-restaurants-opening-soon-upper-west-side

Then, I waited and I waited until today, when finally the dumplings came marching in.  However, I was unable to be among the first in line, because my brother invited me to have lunch with two of his three grandchildren, rarely on the same continent at the same time.

America's Favorite Epidemiologist and I, therefore, ventured forth to Miller's Ale House, 350 U.S. 9 North, Woodbridge Township, an enormous sports bar, with countless, roomy wooden booths and countless minus one televisions sets showing every imaginable sports event from around the world.  Food is almost beside the point under the circumstances and in such a venue, but I enjoyed the Prime Burger, melted American cheese, shaved prime rib, roasted mushrooms, sauteed onions, gravy, crispy onion tanglers and garlic crema on a toasted black and white sesame bun.  Money was no object, because my brother was paying.    

Tomás, 25-years old, residing in San Francisco, and sister Emma, almost 18, relocating from Shanghai, China to Saint Paul, Minnesota, both born and raised in Buenos Aires, were interesting company and have already accumulated more life experiences than most of their Gen Z peers.  

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Isn't it amazing how crazed Republicans have become at Merrick Garland for doing his job?  And, at the same time, they fail to notice that their hero took the Fifth Amendment 400 times and stole Top Secret documents from the White House.  It brings to mind "Bang the Drum Slowly," the great 1956 novel by Mark Harris about the sad fate of a modestly-talented baseball player.  When his team members traveled by train city-to-city, before expansion demanded air travel, they played a card game intended to rebuff civilian passengers looking to kibbitz with the athletes.  TEGWAR -- The Exciting Game Without Any Rules.  So, now, our friends, the Republicans, have turned American politics into TEGWAR.    

. . .

DiDi must still wait, because of my lunch date with Donna J., one of the kindest, most considerate persons that I know.  We met at Miriam, 300 Amsterdam Avenue, a somewhat Israeli restaurant, with a breezy outdoor space.

I had two broad, thin, crispy potato pancakes topped by two poached eggs, with side dishes of labneh (strained yoghurt) and Israeli salad (chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onions) ($20).  It could have used a piece of pita to make a full lunch.  Donna had Gabne Cheese Arias (?), a pita stuffed with avocado, dried tomatoes and cheese, with Israeli salad, tahini and hard boiled eggs ($20).  Where the name comes from I can’t fathom.  All that I could find was that Gabne was a city in ancient Persia.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Before I finally aimed for DiDi, I had a late morning coffee date with Thomas P., my boyish stock broker.  When I emerged from his office, I saw that the entire block from West 52nd Street to West 53rd Street on the east side of Sixth Avenue was taken by food trucks -- New York Birria Mexican Food; The Smashburger Truck; Deli & Dogz - The Pastrami Truck; Wraps & Kebabs - Authentic Egyptian Kitchen; All American Chicken Tenders; Caripito's Venezuelan Food; Diso's Italian Sandwich Society.  Immediate seating was on the parapet in front of Black Rock, the CBS headquarters building designed by Eero Saarinen.  Faced with this array, DiDi had to wait. 

I chose the least familiar, Venezuelan food.  Specifically, I had Cachapas, a sweet corn tortilla folded over white Venezuelan cheese and shredded beef ($13).  Although prepared for me, it was lukewarm which tamped down the flavors.  I benefited from the lineup of trucks when Caripito's had no Diet Coke, I went to Deli & Dogz for a Dr. Brown's diet black cherry. 

Thursday, August 18, 2022 

At long last dumplings.  DiDi was busy at lunchtime today.  People crowded the small floor space in front of the counter and stood outside on the sidewalk waiting for their order and then hastening away.   No one except me chose to remain at one of the three small two-tops; the only other seating was the bus bench on Amsterdam Avenue opposite the front door.

The menu is very limited, dumplings steamed or grilled (potstickers), pork, chicken, shrimp or “veggie.”  A few soups and two noodle dishes.  I ordered the #1 combo, five chicken pot stickers and lo mein (or else a choice of soup) ($8.75).  The pot stickers were good, the lo mein mediocre.  Given the convenient location, I am likely to see more of DiDi.  Also, the beverage cooler is totally committed to diversity, containing regular Coke and Diet Pepsi.