Saturday, December 6, 2025
I had a choice of when to present this wretched information, end last week or start this week. Believing in procrastination, I waited to cite a survey of the Republican Party by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.
It found, among other things that Republicans prefer “a bold, attention-grabbing leader who often makes headlines and isn’t afraid of conflict or drama”; believe that American society is “too feminine”; believe that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was fraudulent; one in three believes that childhood vaccines cause autism; four in ten believe that the 9/11 attacks were likely orchestrated or permitted by U.S. government actors.
The Philippines, like so many other countries today, is facing a major government corruption scandal. Antagonism towards their president may be somewhat muted, because he is known by his childhood name, Bongbong.
. . .
Frank Gehry, the architect, died yesterday. We went to Bilbao, Spain in 1998 to see the newly-opened Guggenheim Museum, one of his masterworks. By chance, we walked there directly from our hotel on Calle de Iparraguirre, which afforded us the unforgettable sight of the museum seeming to sail towards us as we approached.
The entire visit was memorable with one exciting spectacle after another. Jeff Koons’s giant floral puppy stands in front of the museum. Richard Serra’s massive curved sculptures are on permanent display. (See my art lesson March 28, 2024.) And, the Chinese government mounted an exhibit of Xi’an warriors for the first time. Wow! Wow! Wow!
. . .
We were joined by David and Julie for a very lovely dinner at aRoqa, 206 Ninth Avenue, consistently our favorite Indian restaurant. The front of the narrow deep premises holds a bar with a formidable display of bottles. The decor overall is non-ethnic contemporary.
From the Small Plates section, we chose Mushroom and Kataifi Phyllo Bites, “Pastry wrapped savory medley of wild mushrooms, baked golden and served as a crunchy, shareable snack, habanero truffle aioli” ($20); Corn Paddu, “Corn kernels, lentil & rice batter crisped in cast iron mold served with coconut chutney” ($18); Potato & Peas Tikkies, “Crunchy potato & peas cakes, aromatic spices, tamarind & mint cilantro emulsion” ($16); Tandoori Chicken Tikka, “Tandoor oven grilled boneless thigh marinated in Bhimsen’s masala” ($20). They were all very good, but the Phyllo Bites were outstanding.
From the Shared Plates, we chose “Mr. Preet Bharara’s Methi Chicken (Dedicated to a dear patron, Mr. Preet Bharara, Former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York), Chicken cooked with fenugreek leaves & aromatic blend of ground spices” ($26). It was an excellent dish named for a first-rate public servant.
December 7, 2025
Were you wondering what was the
most expensive single-family home sale in Brooklyn? Alan Silverman,
in exile, temporarily I hope, provides the answer. The 10,086 sq. ft. house
located in the midst of the very insular Syrian Jewish community sold for
$32 million just over one month ago.
Monday, December 8, 2025
It’s possible that a thief in New Zealand was getting ready for Valentine’s Day early when he walked into a jewelry store and swallowed a Fabergé egg priced at $19,400. Instead of landing in the hands of his sweetheart, it and he eventually landed in the slightly messy hands of the police.
Today is the 25th anniversary of Bush v. Gore, 538 U.S. 98 (2000), when the United States Supreme Court halted the recount of presidential ballots in Florida, handing the victory to George W. Bush. This case changed our politics without really changing our law. In fact, the opinion specifically counsels that “[o]ur consideration is limited to the present circumstances.” In other words, ignore first message.
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
I have never hidden my enthusiasm for living in the Holy Land as expensive, hectic and crowded it maybe. The rewards substantially outweigh the disadvantages. One area that particularly satisfies me is food, the variety and quality offered in restaurants and retail stores. I’m not denying that you can’t do well in San Francisco, London or Paris, but I don’t think that they could even match the wonderful hodgepodge of cuisines found on Ninth Avenue between 42nd and 57th Streets. Or, the choices on a mile or two on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens would take a long ride on the Pan-American Highway to approximate.
However, I still can be disappointed as I was when reading the food section today. The article is “14 Exceptional Desserts, Coast to Coast.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/1
Obviously, this covers a lot of territory, but I expected a couple of outstanding local options. In fact, I got them — Ajisai Wagashi at Yamada, “Part of a $295 prix fixe menu” and Coconut Turnover at Kabawa, “Part of a $145 prix fixe menu.” Throughout the rest of the country, only one other dessert was embedded in a high price menu. All other choices ran $6 to $18. This isn’t Zohran Mamdani’s New York, but it certainly would keep you from gaining weight.
I received my first Hanukkah gift today, an HP laptop computer. It came from one of my biggest fans -- Me.
Good luck with your new laptop computer! Happy Chanukah ❣️
ReplyDeleteHappy Chanukah. Will AI be a presence in your articles? I hear it's a built -n feature in new computers.
ReplyDeleteI have avoided AI so sat and intend to hold out for the immediate future. As I understand it, it basically predicts what comes next by looking what has come before in a gazillion examples. I would like to think that my thoughts are without precedent, totally unpredictable.
DeleteErratum: far not sat
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