Saturday, February 14, 2026
No, I never met Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his Manhattan townhouse, his Caribbean island, his New Mexico ranch or, as far as I know, to any gathering where he was also present. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more than three degrees of separation between us, that is that I know somebody who knows somebody who knew Jeffrey Epstein. Had I, in fact, met him at a wedding, a funeral, a fundraiser, a birthday party, what might I have learned about him in the course of an evening?
It’s unlikely that he would have offered his rap sheet in lieu of a business card. Would someone have followed him around warning of his toxicity? I am not excusing anyone who appeared in his orbit. I am just asking when should the finger pointing begin?
During the Watergate scandal, Republican Senator Howard Baker repeatedly asked witnesses about President Richard Nixon, What did he know and When did he know it? For Donald Trump vis-à-vis Jeffrey Epstein, the answers seem to be Everything, Forever.
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We saw an early evening showing of a movie that I highly recommend, Shttl. It’s about a Jewish village on the Ukraine-Poland border on the last day before the Germans invaded in 1941. The missing e in the title represents the massive loss that ensued. The dialogue is almost entirely in Yiddish, which I enjoyed hearing, and the movie is shot in one take, no cuts, no fade-outs, a very demanding technique.
It is not sloppily sentimental and there are no mock heroics. Seek it out. It’s likely to appear in your artier venues or local Jewish film festivals. It may be coming to Apple TV as well.
Sunday, February 15, 2026
“About 250,000 people demonstrated [in Munich] on Saturday against Iran's government.”
Meanwhile, on the Columbia University campus, the hunger strike against the planned Mel Brooks film festival reached its fourth day.
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I found an intriguing phrase in an interview with Anand Giridharadas, a sociologist, about Jeffrey Epstein’s circle of friends. There was a “paucity of bravery.” He extends this view to “people in academia, in law firms, in corporations” who have contempt for Donald
Trump, but lack the courage to express it out loud.
Sky Pavilion, 325 West 42nd Street, a good Chinese restaurant, hides in plain sight. It sits across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, rarely a destination for foodies. Tom Terrific was unaware of it even though he lives one block away. Its 15 tables range from two-tops to a ten-person round table. We occupied the sixth table when we met for lunch as the city continues to defrost after its recent Arctic spell.
The menu was much more daring than I expected, with animals and their parts not normally offered for consumption, such as Sliced Pork Ears w. Garlic Chili Sauce ($16.95); Spicy Sichuan Flavored Duck Tongue ($20.95); Braised Pig Brain w. Gourmet Pork ($29.95).
Feeling our age, we took a conservative path, sticking mostly to what was labeled “American Chinese Food,” found on the last five pages of the 59-page menu. We shared chicken soup dumplings ($9.95 for five pieces); Dan Dan noodles with a spicy kick ($9.95); Singapore mei fun, a large portion with shrimp, pork, egg, chicken, bamboo shoots, onion, green peppers, red peppers, not enough of the characteristic curry spice ($16.95); crispy jumbo shrimp, six pieces in a sweet sauce which took away the crispiness ($22.95).
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
I don’t know how Michael Jordan, retired basketball superstar, and Adam Fox, active New York Rangers star, feel about having our birthday coincide with the start of the Year of the Horse. Neither of them joined us to celebrate at lunch at Le Bernardin, 155 West 51st Street, thereby missing a great meal. Of course, the occasion was thoughtfully arranged and sponsored by my young wife.
We had the three-course prix fixe lunch, the only option in the main dining room at $130. Go for it at least once in a lifetime. It might be the best meal that you’ve ever had.
It started with three amuse-bouches, so delicious that I failed to pay attention to the waiter’s detailed descriptions. My taste buds recall that one was a sliver of cod in a fruity sauce and one was a lobster bisque. First course was “Layers of Thinly Pounded Yellowfin Tuna, Foie Gras, Toasted Baguette, Chives.” The last duck had left the house by the time that I ordered my second course. Instead, I was served “Pan Roasted Filet Mignon; Celeriac ‘Bone Marrow’; Red Wine-Shallot Sauce” without the $25 supplement charge.
For dessert, I chose the sticky toffee cake with coffee ice cream. But, more followed. Since someone squealed, I was presented with a decadent chocolate cupcake with candle on the side. Then, both of us got petit twos (far too small to be petit fours), chocolate and coffee and maple flavored. A handshake to the woman at the next table with the same birthday and home for a nice nap.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
As I was drinking a liter of sparkling water at lunch yesterday, I was thinking Is it seltzer or Is it club soda? Well, it might be either. Seltzer and club soda are types of sparkling water. “Sparkling water (or soda water) is naturally carbonated and often contains natural minerals, while club soda has added minerals, and seltzer has none.” https://www.msn.com/en-
Problem solved.
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A serious and seemingly intractable problem is Arab-Israeli relations. “A violent and criminal effort is underway to ethnically cleanse territories in the West Bank.” Spoken by some rabid antisemite? No, Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister.
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This headline popped up on-line this evening. “U.S. Military Moves Into Place for Possible Strikes in Iran”
This is crazy. The oppressive Iranian regime is near collapse. “Iran is experiencing its deepest and longest economic crisis in modern history.”
This produced large public protests which the government violently repressed, “leading to a death toll estimated at between 3,117 (per Iranian government)to upwards of 36,500.” Foreign intervention will only distort, if not deter, the process of regime change. Hands off!
It may be good to be the King, but in Great Britain it’s not good enough to be a Prince.
This morning’s United States Supreme Court ruling on the president’s power to impose tariffs again demonstrates why Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito are begging to be retired. On every matter where Donald Trump has pushed against the established norms of governance and politics, they have unfailingly supported him, often turning recognized standards of jurisprudence and logic on their head. They are obviously crying for help, asking relief from the tedious task of pretending to examine the issues and reaching an independent conclusion. Let them go.
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We ended this historic week by hosting the Supper Club. In fact, madam did the work with contributions by Eva and Susan. I merely attended. A good time was had by all.
Do you seriously want to give Trump two additional slots on the Supreme Court? At the very least, Thomas and Alito are reliably horrid. I blanch at the thought of Justices Bondi and Blanche. Oh, and by the way, for us rural hicks, what’s with fasting against Mel Brooks?
ReplyDelete"Meanwhile, on the Columbia University campus, the hunger strike against the planned Mel Brooks film festival reached its fourth day." Neither Google nor Bing sheds any light on this...if you were trying to be funny, as Brooks said in his animated short "The Critic:" I don't get it.
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