Saturday, October 15, 2022
The Upper West Side's Power Couple took off today to visit the second and third generations in Eastern Massachusetts. Not only did we have the pleasure of their company, but they introduced us to a group of their friends at Amy and Ben's Sukkah in Newton, apparently the Great Neck of Boston. That was my third Sukkah of the week, a new personal best. The crowd, the food, the night was lovely. Incidentally, the Green's chocolate babka that we brought from New York was voted best in show.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Some more special treats today. We met Pierluigi, an Italian attorney and law professor, who hosted a visit to Rome for Law Professor David and family earlier this year. He is a delightful personality, currently teaching a course at Boston University Law School, and is up to date on American politics and culture. He also has an accent that people would line up around the block to hear.
Pierluigi joined us as we wandered all over the Harvard University campus on this beautiful Fall day, where many students, bicycles, strollers and dogs could be seen. But, there were no Frisbees anywhere. It made me question Harvard's academic standing.
As we walked around, I tediously repeated the disclaimer that I had never been on Harvard's grounds before. Then, it came to me. I attended an event in 1992 (but don't ask me what kind of event) at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and one memory remains with me. JFK, Jr. and I reached for the last hors d'oeuvre on a plate at the same time. I hope that he got it.
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If you finally roused the nerve to ask your brother-in-law to move out of your basement, here are some possible destinations for him based on the increase in rental units in recent years.
As you can see, none of the seven largest growing areas are within 650 miles of the Holy Land. That should be far enough.
Monday, October 17, 2022
Before heading home, we had breakfast with 60% of our local clan at Tatte Bakery & Cafe, 165 Linden Street, Wellesley, the newest branch of a growing enterprise, 20 locations in Massachusetts and seven in and around Washington, DC. I was impressed by how many people weren't working at 10 AM this morning, hanging out in the large, high-ceilinged, white space.
I had the Breakfast Sandwich, fried eggs, Vermont cheddar cheese and applewood smoked bacon on "housemade" sourdough bread ($9.85). It was a good sandwich, generously portioned, but the bread was toasted without asking me. Stale bread and English muffins should get toasted; fresh bread, fresh bagels, fresh corn muffins should be served au naturel, unless there is a lousy baker in which case why are you there in the first place?
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
We attended a very interesting discussion tonight at the New-York Historical Society on “The Constitution and the Court” by three constitutional law professors. The overturning of Roe v. Wade, 410 US 113 (1973) by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 597 US ___ (2022) was offered as parallel to the overturning of Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 US 537 (1896) by Brown v. Board of Education, 347 US 383 (1954). I don't accept the comparison, but it evokes envy.
Brown expanded opportunity while Dobbs restricted it. Brown was the culmination of a carefully orchestrated plan by Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to destroy the concept of “separate but equal” case by case, court by court, state by state over years. By contrast, abortion was stripped of constitutional protection in one quick stroke.
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
12 days ago, I recounted the elevated prices at the five local Michelin three-star restaurants, ranging from $195 to $750. Well, they are mostly pikers compared to Noma, the celebrated Copenhagen restaurant, which will operate in Kyoto, Japan for a 10-week residency. It will charge just over 850 euros per person including drinks, tax and service.
We saw a thrilling performance tonight by Twyla Tharp’s dance company. It consisted of two of her signature pieces, "In the Upper Room" and "Nine Sinatra Songs." "In the Upper Room" is a burst of kinetic energy set to the percussive music of Philip Glass. The title is a mystery. Mahalia Jackson sang a gospel song of the same name, otherwise not even remotely connected to the dance work.
There is no confusion about "Nine Sinatra Songs," romantic encounters by various couples. The program only runs through this weekend, but set your sights on any future performances.
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Our Internet has been unreliable for many weeks. When we traced the problem to the router that we rent from Verizon, we reported it to them on October 10th. In their mad rush to fix it, a guy came today.
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I enjoy the writing of Vanessa Friedman, the Chief Fashion Critic of the New York Times, although I am an unlikely patron of the products reviewed. Today, she writes more about the absence of clothes. “Wearing Less and Expressing More” is the print headline.
What intrigued me was this comment from an author/professor of fashion and feminism: “It’s about, ‘I have the right to expose myself the way I want to.’” Okay, but what about me? Do I have the right to look, to admire what is exposed? Or, must I avert my gaze to avoid being thought an ogler, a leerer, rather than a connoisseur?
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I returned to Urban Hawker, 135 West 50th Street, occupying the block-long corridor between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue, for lunch. It houses 17 vendors offering varieties of Asian cuisine. It was very busy and you have to hunt for a seat, that is if you don’t mind being surrounded by your grandchildren’s friends.
I bought a Classic Roti John from Ashes Burnnit, a branch of an established Singapore hamburger joint ($11.99). Roti is ordinarily an Indian pancake, akin to a tortilla. Here, though, it was a soft hero roll, open, covered with curry beef, cheese, a fried egg, lettuce and coriander. It was very good and I won’t fault the name mixup. Note that Ashes Burnnit applies a 3.5% credit card surcharge. The origin of the name is unclear. All that I can discern is that in Singapore they use a deep charcoal-colored hamburger bun, here not.
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