Footloose

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Thank goodness, the rich are getting richer. Wall Street’s latest “bonus pool hit a record $47.5 billion, up 34% from last year . . . The average bonus paid to employees also hit a record high, at $244,700, up 31.5% from the year before.”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/business/wall-street-bonuses/index.html?cid=ios_app

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Law Professor Nate is in from California for a brief visit and we had an hour and a half together this afternoon. We thought that we might do macrame, but decided to talk politics instead, agreeing things stink.

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Madam and I went to the theater this evening to see “Love Life,” a forgotten musical collaboration between Kurt Weill, after “The Three Penny Opera,” and Alan Jay Lerner, before “My Fair Lady.” It follows an American family from revolutionary times to the present, then 1948. Their life and its stresses are meant to parallel the movement of American society from simple idealism to the compromises of modern capitalism.

Sunday, March 31, 2025

I’m glad that I can still be surprised. This survey of homeowners’ sitzfleisch in major markets surprised me, finding that Los Angeles homeowners stayed put the longest. 

https://www.redfin.com/news/homeowner-tenure-california-longest/

In my nine years in exile on the Left Coast, it seemed that people hopped around frequently, certainly more frequently than in my New York experience. The gold standard was Mother Ruth Gotthelf who lived 57 years in her last apartment. On the other hand, Los Angeles real estate was hot hot at the time, propelling people to take advantage of the financial opportunities. For instance, the home that I purchased with my Original Wife in 1975 tripled in price in less than six years.

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We were back to the theater tonight to see the world premiere of “A Mother,” a play by Neena Berber “co-conceived” with the very talented Jessica Hecht, who also stars in the work. It is multilayered, interleaving three stories differing in time and location with some characters overlapping. It includes the intersection of "Paint Your Wagon" and Bertolt Brecht. The five actors handled their multiple roles deftly which helped to avoid thorough confusion.

Before the play, we ate at Aiyara Thai Restaurant, 480 Ninth Avenue, a small joint that gave the impression of firing its interior decorator early in the project. The food, on the other hand, mostly satisfied. I started with roti masaman, two good Indian crêpes with a curry dipping sauce that was far too bland ($7.95). My medium-large portion of drunken noodles with shrimp was tasty however, with a spicy kick ($18.95). 

Monday, March 31, 2025

Happy Birthday, Law Professor David.

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Flip flops should be worn to and from a shower. Period. They are an abomination in any other setting, although a woman returning from a pedicure may be excused. A fashion line called The Row has pushed the boundary of vulgar conspicuous consumption. It offers flip flops for $690. 

https://www.therow.com/collections/women-sandals

They are not bejeweled, not fashioned from the hide of a near extinct quadruped. Profits do not go to a worthy charity. They do not come with a lifetime warranty. They are flip flops selling for $690. To whom?

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Gentleman Jerry and I attended a lecture tonight by Timothy Snyder, historian, on “The New Paganism — A Framework for Understanding Our Politics.” Snyder himself has been making news, because he is leaving a chair at Yale University to take a position in Toronto, Canada.

I was awed by his presentation, asserting that we have returned to a neo-paganism, replacing reason with magic, superstition and charisma. Snyder said that we are facing a period of futurelessness. Jerry and I agreed that the mood of the large crowd (400+) at the New York Public Library was decidedly pessimistic. I commented that the same gathering in 2012 or 2021 would have exuded a very different mood. Is public opinion that fragile? 

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

“In New York City, the average cost [of a wedding] is eighty-eight thousand dollars.” 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/07/does-the-knot-have-a-fake-brides-problem

That sounded so outlandish that I checked around and found a comment only three months earlier that “[t]he average wedding cost in NYC is around $78,600, significantly higher than the national average of about $34,000.”

https://omghitched.com/how-much-does-the-average-wedding-cost-in-nyc-2/

Are guests' goody bags stuffed with flip flops from The Row?

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I had lunch with Toby McMullen, the only standup comedian who will be seen in public with me. I chose the Grand Central Terminal Oyster Bar, a classic venue with its dramatic vaulted tiled ceilings. As a relatively recent Holy Land resident, I thought Toby would appreciate this. Well, Yes and No. He liked the architecture, but, no longer a vegetarian, he still does not eat any fish or seafood. Go know. The one chicken dish on the menu satisfied, however.

I, on the other hand, plunged into the deep, starting with a bowl of New England clam chowder, rich and creamy as hoped for ($12.45). Then, I had a plate of about a dozen near-greaseless fried oysters with a large portion of French fries ($30.95). I’ll be sure and check for dietary restrictions the next time I dine with an outlander.

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Later in the afternoon, I followed Jewish tradition and sat in the basement of Plaza Community Chapel as a shomer, a guardian or watchman, near the body of Noah L., a lovely, gentle man. As a sign of respect, a body is not supposed to be left alone until burial. Jews, like Muslims, are urged to bury the dead quickly and then mourn, the opposite of many Christian practices.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Quiz for dedicated Holy Landers:

Compare and contrast Zohran Mamdani and Zellnor Myrie

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Usually, I try to be decisive, even in haste. However, one question has me stumped: Who is a greater danger to their country — Bibi Netanyahu or Donald Trump?

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Sub-headline:

“The administration has now targeted five [Ivy League] schools’ federal funding as part of a pledge to combat what it considers to be antisemitism on university campuses.” In other words, it’s ultimately the Jews.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Stony Brook Steve, Terrific Tom and I had lunch at Koji Chicken, 764 Ninth Avenue, a hole in the wall with five small two-tops and two short ledges with five stools total. However, it makes excellent Korean chicken. I had the Cajun Chicken Sando, very crispy chicken tossed in Cajun seasoning, "zesty" pickles and a spicy ranch sauce on a potato bun ($9.95). Add a can of Diet Coke and French fries for $5.95. There offer half a dozen chicken sandwiches and also Bulgogi over rice or noodles. 

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I hope that you are able to access the article below, because, in these tumultuous times, “Our Favorite Bathrooms” offer tranquil oases.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/t-magazine/best-bathroom-design.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare