Saturday, December 14, 2024
Before the pixels were even dry on last week’s blog, the real story about the closing of Absolute Bagels, 2788 Broadway, broke. https://patch.com/new-york/
As good as the bagels tasted, they likely had secret ingredients that were not part of your regular diet, provided by the rodents and vermin that frequented the premises.
. . .
Sunday, December 15, 2024
If you are single, and everybody is for at least sometime in life, you may want surroundings that support your style of life. Proximity to a friendly pub might be more important than nearness to a petting zoo. This study “compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 35 key indicators of dating-friendliness.” https://
Atlanta came out on top, having “an extremely high number of attractions, restaurants and nightlife activities, giving people a wide variety of venues for dates.” There is also the remarkable statistic, to me, that over 69% of its population is single, not even the highest number, trailing Detroit, Burlington and Cleveland, among others. Las Vegas is the dubious choice for second place, “boasting some of the best and most diverse nightlife options in the country, along with an extremely high number of attractions and restaurants overall.” What I always noticed in Las Vegas was the pall of unsuccessful gamblers, watching their luck evaporate. Those woeful souls do not make for good company.
. . .
On the other hand, madam and I provided good company for my brother at lunch in honor of his birthday. We met at Seasons 52, 217 Lafayette Avenue, Edison, New Jersey, an excellent example of what a suburban restaurant should be — large, friendly, lots of parking, combining the familiar with some innovative touches. Today, I regressed towards the mean in contrast to earlier visits and ordered half a rotisserie chicken, plump and juicy, with French green beans, roasted cherry tomatoes and rice pilaf ($23.50). My bride had the very interesting Maui Crunch Salad, seared tuna, organic greens, mango, almonds, wood-grilled red peppers and toasted sesame dressing ($21.50). My brother had the hearty wood-grilled Kona crusted lamb loin with broccolini and mashed Yukon potatoes ($32.50).
Monday, December 16, 2024
Mazel tov to Jessica and Tavish upon their marriage high on a mountain in Colorado.
. . .
I am a Zionist, a supporter of the State of Israel, but not a supporter of its present regime, which, at times, seems to be perpetuating violence for its own sake. These two headings appeared on CNN.com this afternoon not far apart:
•Israeli strike kills Al Jazeera photojournalist on one year anniversary of colleague’s death
•Palestinian grandfather whose tribute to slain granddaughter went viral is killed by Israeli fire in Gaza
. . .
About one-third of Americans rent their primary residence. That might be okay except that the financial gap between renters and owners is so large, renters have less than 3% of the wealth of homeowners, making up the difference is often impossible. https://www.aspeninstitute.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
I saw another neurologist today and found that I don’t have what they thought I had, but they don’t quite know what I have and they don’t expect it to go away.
. . .
Tom and Kim joined us at Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, 47-49 East 65th Street, to hear Rachel Maddow, television host and author, and Steve Benin, television producer and author, discussing “What Next for America: Assessing the 2024 Presidential Election and the Threat to American Democracy.” In sum, it’ll get worse before it gets better.
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
The word from Washington is that the next head of the National Weather Service will be Stormy Daniels.
. . .
Evidence of at least a partially descended testicle:
"Matt Gaetz Ethics Report to Be Released After House Panel’s Secret Vote". . .
A couple of weeks ago, I closed the door on reporting end-of-the-year best of lists. They may be fun, but they have a very brief shelf life. However, this compilation is a little out of the ordinary. What books did New Yorkers take out of the library. https://www.nypl.org/blog/
I learned that Freida McFadden, very big on Staten Island, but previously unknown to me, is the pen name of an American thriller author and practicing physician specializing in brain injury, according to Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Remarkably, she has produced, on the average, one book every 5-1/2 months over 12 years. Make that Amazingly.
I’m a sports fan, but not a fan of sports betting with its potential for massive corruption, a prospect that the industry fails to acknowledge. “Bill Miller, the president of the A.G.A. [the American Gaming Association, the industry’s trade organization], said last week during a meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States that he expected the industry would be under less scrutiny from the federal government in the coming years. ‘We have a Republican president, Republican Senate and Republican House,’ he said. ‘And so what does that mean for the gaming industry? It means probably less pressure.’
How encouraging that the party supported by 85% of white evangelical voters (https://www.pewresearch.org/
Friday, December 20, 2024
The Upper West Side’s Power Couple headed off into the sunrise to visit the second and third generations in Eastern Massachusetts. Festivities shall abound. However, jackknifed tractor trailers on the Massachusetts Turnpike turned the normal 4-1/2 hour trip (including lunch) into a 7 hour ordeal.
. . .
How about Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis? Given a case of historic proportions and flushing it down the toilet by failing to curb adolescent passions.
