Tripping

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Linda Greenhouse, a thoughtful analyst of constitutional law, discusses Christian nationalism in this article. (You can read it for free with a one-time registration.) https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/victimhood-and-vengeance-the-flag-and-the-cross/

There was one non-political factoid that really caught my attention. "In 1976, 31 percent of the American population were members of the [mainstream Protestant] churches," non-evangelical, such as Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian. "By 2018 that figure dropped to 12 percent." While I don't have the numbers, it is certain that mainstream Judaism here has experienced the same significant decline. Only the ultra-Orthodox with their large families are growing in numbers, which is also the case in Israel. The consequences for both societies are dire. As strongly devoted to their religion as mainstream Christians and Jews might be, they have not generally abandoned their adherence to a pluralistic, open society. The same cannot be said of too many evangelical Christians and haredi Jews.    

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Owning a home may be a financial struggle, but a study shows that many people cannot even purchase a home because of their inability to raise the required down payment.    https://www.realtyhop.com/blog/barrier-to-homeownership/

In many areas of California, for instance, it takes around 10 years to save enough for the typical down payment, while three years is sufficient in parts of the midwest.

Monday, January 23, 2023

Baruc S. has a substantial position in international banking although only his wife is Jewish. We had a nice lunch together at Dagon, 2454 Broadway, the Israeli/Mediterranean restaurant that he and I have each come to favor.

We took advantage of the Restaurant Week menu, two courses for $30. We ordered the same items, silky smooth hummus, served with a just-baked loaf of bread, brushed with olive oil and za’atar, a blend of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and salt, and the Dagon Burger, brisket/short rib blend, Moroccan pickles, Gruyère cheese, and harissa ketchup on a brioche bun, with a generous portion of shoestring fries. It was a good meal and a filling one.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

To make up for missing my brother's birthday in December, I drove into the depths of Jersey to have lunch with him. We met at Seasons 52, 217 Lafayette Avenue, Edison, New Jersey, a very large, attractive restaurant with an eclectic menu and 52 wines by the glass.

I ordered a lunch special ($13), a bowl of very rich lobster bisque, just as I hoped that it would be, and a half-size chipotle BBQ shrimp flatbread, containing baby shrimp, grilled pineapple, feta cheese, and wood-grilled poblano peppers. When the waiter accidentally spilled a glass of water in my lap, I was compensated with a free dessert and a certificate for free food on my next visit. I passed the latter along to my brother as an early installment on his next birthday present.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

I had an early lunch at Urbanspace, 570 Lexington Avenue, a food court housing about a dozen vendors. Before noon, there were fewer than the usual crowd of people half a century younger than me. I had a Classic chicken sandwich at Bull Chicken, two chunks of excellent Korean-fried chicken, pickles and buttermilk ranch dressing on a bun ($9.49). Unfortunately, I upgraded to a meal with subpar French fries and a drink for $4.49. Next time, I’ll remember to buy my Diet Coke on the street and skip the extra carbs.

. . .

An Arizona bill, SB1030, would ban drag shows on Sunday mornings whether or not minors were around. Feel better?

Thursday, January 26, 2023

The Upper West Side's Power Couple relocates to the Left Coast for a brief visit with America’s Loveliest Nephrologist and the Oakland Heartthrob.  

Other than some grumbling about traffic, the morning trip to JFK is usually uneventful. Not today. Following my directions, the cab driver took the 59th Street bridge rather than the Triboro, Ed Koch vs. Robert F. Kennedy, so we were stopped for a light on Van Dam Street when we felt a solid thump. A bicycle delivery guy ran right into the back of the taxicab, breaking the tail light. 

Our driver jumped out and grabbed the handlebars of the bicycle to stop the rider fleeing. That evoked a roundhouse from the bicycle rider, decking the taxicab driver. With that, a young man stopped right behind us got out of his car and wrestled with the bicycle rider until a couple of cops standing in front of the jail across the street came over, soon joined by a squad car responding to our 911 call. After giving brief statements to the police, we accepted the offer of the young man to proceed to the airport.  

He turned out to be an immigrant from Ghana, who served in the U.S. Navy to get educational and medical benefits. We were thoroughly impressed by his sincerity and helpfulness and offered him some practical advice for coping with life in the Holy Land, as well as an unasked-for gratuity for volunteering to complete the first leg of our journey. Later, recollecting that we had just binge watched the entire fourth season of “Fauda,” I thought of all the plot lines emerging from us being kidnapped, in broad daylight, off the streets of Long Island City.

Friday, January 27, 2023

R.I.P. Irwin Wall

. . .

Don't order the French dip sandwich at Beer Baron Bar & Kitchen, 5900 College Avenue, Oakland. Evoking Los Angeles far more than Paris, it is supposed to be thinly sliced roast beef on, ideally, a baguette, with a small cup of beef juices or broth on the side for the dipping. Instead, I got a very fatty pot roast sandwich, with a small cup of a thin, oniony tomato sauce. The duck fat fried potatoes and the Boylan diet cola were partially redemptive, but only partially.

. . .

Dinner was a different story. We went to Via del Corso, 1788 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, a deservedly busy place. I shared some of the Prosciutto con Burrata (mozzarella and cream), fresh and delicious ($19). My main course was Spaghetti alla Carbonara,  Rusticchella d’Abbruzo Pasta, Guanciale, Eggs, Pecorino Romano, and Black Pepper, a traditional dish, very well executed here ($22). Others had gnocchi, branzino, and a pork chop, equally enjoyed.  

. . .

Remember, Thursday, February 2nd @ 7 PM, New York Times journalist Joseph Berger will discuss his new biography of Elie Wiesel, "Confronting the Silence," exclusively on West End Synagogue's Zoom link.    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83079031731?pwd=TGZXRzI2OEVsMGxwOXZFSklob0JTZz09