Sight Unseen

Saturday, October 31, 2026

Today's column by Michelle Goldberg offers this interesting observation about American public opinion. "Obama, who was still paying off student debt in his 40s, was tagged as an elitist, while Trump, who loves to brag about his wealth, was not."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/31/opinion/democrats-populist-working-class.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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Americans are anxiously awaiting Tuesday's elections to see which political party will control the United States Senate, the House of Representatives and various state houses. Many of us are also trying to make sense of the Israeli election. Voters in Idaho will have the added burden of choosing a state gun from among six alternatives, including the Winchester "Gun that won the West" and the Colt "Peacemaker". As Roseanne Roseannadanna famously reminded us, "It's always something."

https://ballotpedia.org/Idaho_Official_State_Gun_Question_(2026)

Sunday, November 1, 2026

Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost the Democratic primary for the open Michigan Senate seat to Abdul el-Sayed, surprised almost everyone by endorsing Republican Mike Rogers. While her reasoning was not clear to all (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/haley-stevens-abdul-el-sayed-anderson-cooper-cnn_n_6ae8084ce4b0283c45777241), Israel divided Haley, engaged to a Jewish man and reputedly considering conversion, and el-Sayed, a Muslim. 

There seems to be no one in today's Republican Party that I might endorse or vote for. However, I equally eschew el-Sayed, Zohran Mamdani and others who apply a unique litmus test to the existence of Israel among nations.  https://abcnews.com/Politics/week-transcript-6-28-26-new-york-city/story?id=134279911

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If you discard the Middle East and other foreign destinations as havens for your retirement, you might look at this list of allegedly the best places to retire. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-places-to-retire/6165 

The analysis was based on 45 metrics, we are told, under the headings of Affordability, Activities, Quality of Life and Health Care. Here are the top five:

• Orlando
• Miami
• Tampa
• Scottsdale
• Casper, Wyoming

Obviously, sweating and skin cancer were not among metrics considered. There are many such lists with 5, 15, 35 or 50 alternatives, just search for "Lists of best places to retire." Be sure to exclude those not placing New York City first.

 

Monday, November 2, 2026 

We were downstairs at 6:30 AM to be driven to the site for cataract surgery on my second eye of two. All went well and I was back in bed by 10:30 AM where I spent the rest of the day. 

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

I woke up early to vote and then rushed off to Dr. DeLuca to have the bandage removed from my left eye. To celebrate the New Me or maybe just the New Part of Me, on the way home, I stopped at Dough, 1119 Lexington Avenue, purveyors of Handmade Artisanal Doughnuts, one of its seven locations. Their doughnuts are big and attractively decorated. I chose chocolate, passion fruit and dulce de leche, $6.75 each. If all I had to do was look at the big, attractively decorated doughnuts in interesting flavors, I would have been pleased. However, enjoyment ended there. These were yeast-risen doughnuts, light and airy inside, too light, too airy, like a clump of straw. If I ever thought about it before, I prefer cake-style doughnuts for half the price.

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Credit Bob Saginaw with this paradoxical observation. Just as the Democratic Party is moving away from its support of Israel and American Jews are increasingly uncomfortable with their role in American life, Jon Ossoff, Josh Shapiro, Josh Stein and JB Pritzker are viewed as rising stars in the party.

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

It's a delightful morning. Among the encouraging results of yesterday's election was the defeat of incumbent Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial race. May I suggest that Texas's new Democratic governor follow Abbott's precedent and place him on a bus and send him to Brooklyn.

Also, we are thrilled to welcome back dandruff, psoriasis and migraine, occupying our airspace again in place of those mind numbing (with a b) political commercials.

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For the first time in over 70 years, I am not wearing eyeglasses now that I have had cataract surgery on both eyes. It's weird. I keep pushing up the eyeglasses that are not there; I reach for them getting out of bed. Most significantly, I looked much better with glasses on. Without the contrast of eyeglass frames, my pale face looks like an undercooked pancake.

.  .  .

We have the results you have been waiting for. Voters in Idaho prefer the Winchester "Gun that won the West" as the official State Gun. Mazel Tov!

Thursday, November 5, 2026

It's too soon. Even as we continue to digest the extraordinary results of Tuesday's midterm elections, the New York Times publishes The Best Pizza in New York City - The New York Times and The Best Bagels in New York City - The New York Times

Either subject is cause for dispute and contention that threatens friendships. Issuing them in tandem places an intolerable burden on us. We need time and space. This is serious business.

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Speaking of serious business, Michael Ratner told me about his recent trip to Portugal and Poland. Michael is an avid photographer, but he has not yet had time to organize the 900 photographs that he took on the trip, else we might still be at the table at Wu's Dynasty, 210 West 70th Street, where we had lunch.

The food was generally excellent, but requires annotation. We shared a large bowl of wonton soup with eight delicious wontons floating in a fairly bland broth ($23.95!!!). We ordered two lunch specials at $16.95, beef with scallions and shrimp with garlic sauce. The portions were large and accompanied by white rice, but nothing more unlike the practice at so many other Chinese restaurants. No eggroll, no dumpling, no soda. 

Service was a bit spotty; most of the effort at lunchtime goes to the dim sum served from rolling carts. Menu prices are discounted 10% if paying in cash. And, of course, Wu's is around the corner from Palazzo di Gotthelf.

Friday, November 6, 2026

I was close to John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, former Governor and Senator from West Virginia, a rare Democrat in his family, who died today.  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/us/politics/jay-rockefeller-dead.html?smid=em-share

It was the Class of 1992 Yale University graduation which included his daughter and Nathaniel P., later Professor Nate. A sudden rain shower interrupted the outdoor festivities and we ducked for cover. I found myself pressed close to Jay Rockefeller, distinguished at 6'6". A leaf sat atop his head, knocked loose by the rain. I gently removed it.

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I ended this fascinating week by having lunch with Jeff Heller, human rights warrior, at Ella Social, 249 Columbus Avenue, a tapas and wine bar. It's a charming little place, with 15 two-tops and four hi-tops on the back wall. One wall is covered with framed mirrors direct from your grandmother's house; the other has sepia tinted photographs of naked ladies. 

There is a $21 two-course lunch and a few sandwiches. More tapas are available the rest of the day. I had a bowl of chicken soup full of chunks of potato, carrots and white meat chicken, and a one-inch piece of corn on the cob. My main was albondigas, four meatballs in tomato sauce with a side of couscous. A very good bargain at $21. Service was friendly and efficient. Note that the bathrooms are down a long, steep flight of stairs.

Jeff told me about his river cruise on the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the Northwest. His wife has assured my wife that this would be the last river cruise they would ever take.

The Fifth Beatle, Once Removed?

Saturday, October 24, 2026

Malcolm Gladwell makes some very surprising points about American policing in a recent article in The Atlantic.  America Has a Police Shortage - The Atlantic

 

He asserts that we are under-policed in quantity, if not in quality. He compares Los Angeles and its 8,500 person police force to Berlin, of about equal population, and its 18,000 police officers in a far more compact area. Similarly, Phoenix has 2,500 police officers while Munich, with a population of roughly the same size, has nearly two-and-a-half times as many. Dallas and metropolitan Brussels have comparable populations; Dallas has 3,100 officers, Brussels 6,700.

Sunday, October 25, 2026
Cousin Jerry Latter and I went to the annual memorial meeting of the Zuromin Landsmannschaft (a benevolent society for Jewish immigrants). Jerry's paternal grandfather and my paternal grandmother, brother and sister, were born in Zuromin, a town 75 miles northwest of Warsaw. My father was also born there. The 40 or so people in attendance had roots in Zuromin, up to four generations back. Once about half Jewish, Zuromin is now Juden frei.

The meeting was held at Noah's Ark, 493 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, New Jersey, a Kosher delicatessen. On the subject of Kosher delicatessens vs. Jewish delicatessens, see https://share.google/6w6iq7TEwF2vt0pEZ. Lunch was included. The tables were set with coleslaw, wonderful garlicky pickles, Caesar salad, French fries and small pitchers of Coke and Diet Coke needing frequent refilling. I ordered matzoh ball soup, matzoh ball A, soup C, and a corned beef sandwich, B because of its modest size. 

A couple of people who recently visited Zuromin spoke and we heard of plans to restore the town's Jewish cemetery, now an overgrown, unmarked field. I recall my father saying that he had no need to visit Europe, he was born there.

Monday, October 26, 2026
I won't dignify the food critic taking part in a tasting who made this absurd statement: "The cookie part is as solid as can be, but I found there to be an excessive amount of chocolate chips."

Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Dear American Jews,
The polls in Israel closed a couple of hours ago. Nothing definitive is yet known about the results except that Jewish voters seem to be narrowly split between pro and anti Bibi Netanyahu camps, giving each side 50 or so seats in the Knesset (the unicameral legislature with 120 seats). Arab parties (about 20% of the Israeli population are Arabs -- Muslim, Christian and Druze) are expected to gain 18 or so seats. During the campaign, Jewish candidates denied any interest in Arab participation in a new government. Under these circumstances, neither bloc will encompass 61 seats needed to form a stable government. 

I believe that Netanyahu has, as the columnist Ezra Klein wrote last week, won the Middle East and lost the world. Removing him from office is a vital step in restoring integrity and respect to Israel internally and externally. Survey data show that a majority of American Jews share this view. Unfortunately, many Israeli Jews, responding to the perilousness of their geopolitical position, feel that Bibi the Warrior is their best protector. Israel, unlike all of its neighbors, is a vital democracy with very high civic engagement, Jew and Arab alike. The results, though, seem to continue to be harmful, even dangerous, to all concerned.

Wednesday, October 28, 2026
What do these locations have in common?
Round Lake, Illinois; Qulin, Missouri; Richfield, Wisconsin; Asheville, North Carolina; New Philadelphia, Ohio; Amarillo, Texas; Lake Isabella, California.

All are the alleged origins of recent telephone calls about my phantom loan request for my non-existent business. Chirpy voices promise easy processing of up to $500,000. I have received one call a day for months, too often while I am napping. Requests to desist result in an immediate hang up. Blocking won't work, because the same number never appears twice even as the prerecorded message repeats.

In 1927, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote "Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society." Today, the price seems to be robocalls.

Thursday, October 29, 2026
So, the provost of Dartmouth University wrote an essay for the Washington Post about student cheating using A.I. Used A.I., he's gone.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/us/dartmouth-santiago-schnell-ai.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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Final result of the Israeli election: Netanyahu supporters, 53 seats in the Knesset; Gadi Eisenkot supporters (opponents), 48 seats; two Arab parties, 19 seats, a record high, including one retired Jewish senior police officer. In the last election in 2022, the Netanyahu bloc won 64 seats and the Arab parties 10 seats.

Friday, October 30, 2026 

Friday factoid: Paul McCartney is married to the ex-wife of Bruce Blakeman, Republican candidate for Governor of New York State.

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Stanford law professor Nate finished his lecture at Columbia Law School early enough to have coffee and cake with me at Rosetta Bakery, 1928 Broadway, this afternoon. We shared a cannoli and a fabulous pistachio mousse chocolate concoction as we recalled old memories and created new ones. 

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I got home to a great message. The New York Times accepted my comment about a column by Nicholas Kristof. Nicholas Kristof writes, "Another hard lesson I learned covering Tiananmen: Victims lie or, more charitably, misremember. It’s human nature to doubt oppressors and believe victims . . ." Unfortunately, he may have forgotten this lesson when commenting on the wretched circumstances of the conflict in Gaza.

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

Saturday, October 16, 2026

As I was falling asleep while watching a college football game this afternoon, I heard talk about a player who had gone from Temple University to Wake Forest University to the University of Texas. I wonder if he ever got to classes with all the time needed to pack and unpack.

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Here's a kind of a dumb (spelled with a b) question: What state capital is spelled without a letter in its state's name? Try to answer without A.I.

Sunday, October 17, 2026

How much can you get elsewhere for the cost of one square meter of centrally located New York City residential property?

If your social life is more important to you than real estate values, consider where boys are or aren't.

Monday, October 18, 2026

If you think that you have found your bashert, consider where to relocate. 

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We went to hear Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark discuss Roy Cohn, subject of their latest book, American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump. They offered so many interesting tidbits about Roy Cohn, that evil genius, that their book goes to the top of my reading list. Cohn emerged as a public figure in the early 1950s and Bird claims that his influence is still present through Donald Trump, because little differentiates MAGA from McCarthyism. 

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After the talk, we went to lunch at the Grey Dog, 90 University Place. It is an aggressively funky place, with class photos, license plates, untreated lumber and exposed brick on the walls, and scattered references to the University of Michigan thanks to one of the owners. There are five other locations, presumably with similar decors. 

The menu is pub/dineresque. I ordered the Big House Burger, a thick patty and a generous order of French fries for $19. However, although the food came quickly, it was lukewarm as if it had been sitting in a corner. Also, the Diet Coke was refilled for another $4. Far from a winning combination and very disappointing. 

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

After a pleasant and encouraging visit with my cardiologist, I went over to what is now called The Hugh, a food court at the bottom of the Citicorp Center, 601 Lexington Avenue, named for Hugh Stubbins the building's architect. It contains 15 bars and restaurants and is buzzing at lunchtime. When I worked one block away in the 1980s, the space had few vendors and was relatively quiet except for random piano soloists.

I sat at the bar of the Joseph Brothers, where a half pound of prime roast beef is piled on a sandwich with as little or as much adornments as you choose ($15). I kept it simple with just horseradish mayonnaise and a side order of very many onion rings ($9). I found it strange that, while the Jamaican, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Turkish, Israeli, Korean, West African, Thai and French joints nearby were busy, I was one of the few people eating American. My second Diet Coke was complimentary.

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Palazzo di Gotthelf had no running water from 4 AM to 4 PM today, for scheduled maintenance. We placed pails of water strategically last night and both of us found things to do away from home during the day. I had lunch with Stony Brook Steve at Simply Noodles, 267 Amsterdam Avenue, a modest, but thoroughly reliable pan-Asian place where all 20 seats were kept occupied. 

I had chicken soup rice noodles, with a tea-stained egg, corn kernels, scallion, seaweed, tofu puffs, wood ear mushrooms, and lettuce ($17). It was very filling and very satisfying. 

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Unsatisfying was the change to the Trader Joe's store on Broadway at West 72nd Street that just reopened after more than four months to replace its elevator and escalators, critical to a store that begins at street level and then burrows two stories underground. It wasn't the new equipment that's at fault, although it has already been subject to breakdowns. Rather, I am perturbed by what has been removed.

Prior to the renovation, there were two antique bathrooms, that is gender specific or what used to be understood as gender, large enough for several patrons. They are now gone. When I questioned the manager, he suggested that I seek him out in case of an emergency. Presumably, he would tell you where you could find a bathroom nearby.

Friday, October 23, 2026

"Trump DOJ sues to block Alaska US Senate results if Republican incumbent loses."

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/23/politics/doj-sues-alaska-dan-sullivan-us-senate?cid=ios_app

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Answer -- Pierre, South Dakota

O Canada 2026

Saturday, October 10, 2026

I know nothing about this amazing photograph, but I wanted to share it.

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Speaking of pictures, this is a literal picture of American jobs.

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The Schneiders hosted the Supper Club tonight with roasted cod as the main course. Culinary contributions were made by America's Favorite Epidemiologist, butternut squash/apple soup, and Legal Eagle Eva, flourless chocolate cake. Bravo all around.

Part of the evening was a discussion of Citizen Kane, chosen in advance. Parallels to current events could not be avoided.

Sunday, October 11, 2026

My brother found this crazy bit of news. The newly elected mayor of a town in Peru is named Hitler Mussolini Simeon Flores.

https://www.politico.eu/article/hitler-mussolini-wins-local-election-peru/

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The Upper West Side's Power Couple got up disgustingly early this morning to fly to Toronto. We are not abandoning the good fight for Truth, Beauty and Justice in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, but merely taking a short respite.

We are staying downtown, on a floor devoted to hotel accommodations, in the same high rise where the Frolics live. Irene is a world-renowned sculptor and Bernie is one of Canada's leading authorities on Chinese politics. Not only does the Manulife Centre, 44 Charles Street West, combine residences and transient space, it sits above a multilevel shopping mall containing, among other things, a movie theatre, supermarket, bookstore, clothing stores, cafes and restaurants.

Eataly, an international chain of Italian food halls, has a prominent place in Manulife Centre with a large retail food and wine market and Trattoria Milano, an upscale restaurant. As the four of us experienced it, only the prices were truly upscale, the food better on the menu than on the plate and the service bad.

I had the Taste of Milano dinner for $65 (1 CAD $ = 0.70 USD $): Mondeghili, "Fried Milanese-Style 'Meatballs', Salsa Verde, Spicy Aioli"; Tartare di Manzo, "Raw PEI [Prince Edward Island] Beef Eye Round, ROI [brand] Carte Noire Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt"; Risotto allo Zafferano, "Carnaroli Rice, Saffron, Bone Marrow, Veal Sugo [sauce], Grana Padano DOP [hard cheese with Designated Protection of Origin]"; Cioccolato e Pistacchio, "Dark Chocolate Mousse, Salted Pistachio Gelato, Pistachio Streusel, Raspberries". In all, less than the sum of its parts.

Recognizing the hectic, delayed service, the $60 bottle of Prosecco was left off the check.

Monday, October 12, at noon 2026

"GOP ad buyer mixes up Portlands, spends money meant to help Maine Sen. Susan Collins in Oregon."  

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/gop-ad-buyer-mixes-portlands-spends-money-meant-help-maine-sen-susan-c-rcna603005

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Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada and, appropriately, we celebrated by going to a Chinese restaurant. In fact, we had gone to Pearl Yorkville Chinese Cuisine, 730 Yonge Street, on our visit last year. Bernie and Irene both speak Mandarin Chinese and are quite familiar to the host. It's a large place with high ceilings and big windows facing the street. The interior walls are charcoal gray, hung with bright modern art. There was nothing ethnic about the decor. 

We ordered several things for all to share: Fried mushrooms with honey sauce ($16); vegetarian dumplings ($14 for 4 pieces); lamb sautéed with Cumin ($40); deep fried filet of sole with sweet & sour sauce ($38); fried rice vermicelli Singapore style ($30); eggplant with spicy garlic sauce ($26). The food was generally well-prepared, the portions large.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

I thought that it would be fun to see the New York Knicks play the Toronto Raptors here tonight. Even though it was an exhibition game, I hoped that Jalen Brunson, KAT and some of the other 2026 NBA champions would play in this affordable venue. It was not to be. The Raptors fielded starters, while the Knicks fielded strangers. I don't think that any Knick stars even crossed the border. The Raptors had a 41-point lead in the first half, which would make for a dull football game. By the way, the Raptors have loudly put the RAP in Raptors. 

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Before the game, Bernie and I ate a light, very satisfying, dinner at Viet Hut Express, 35 Charles Street West, a casual joint offering typical Vietnamese food. We both had pho, the national soup. Mine was beef broth, rice noodles, sliced steak, cilantro, white and green onions ($17.50). Bernie had sliced beef shank in beef broth, topped with house-made chili oil and white onion, green onion, and cilantro ($17.50). These large bowls were actually considered small and unnecessarily larger versions were available at $19.99.

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

I wandered off on my own for a few hours and had lunch at Da.Si.Mar Shawarma, 673 Yonge Street, on a busy corner in an area full of ethnic restaurants. It's a big space with some random attempts to warm up the decor. You order from the cashier and she directs two guys attending three enormous spits, chicken, lamb, beef.

I had Mix Shawarma Arabic Plate, the three meats wrapped in thin flatbread with hummus, lettuce, tomato, beets, pickles, cucumbers plus a good chopped salad and mildly spiced French fries ($18.99). It was a lot of food, probably enough for two normal human beings.  I found Vanilla Coke Zero a little metallic tasting ($2.50). I washed it all down with a can of real Canadian Canada Dry ($2.50).

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It was a stroke of good fortune that Nani's Gelato Charles Street, 6 Charles Street East, was just across the street and I was able to end my lunch hour with a cup of Golden Oreo Strawberry ($7.25). That was a flavor I had never come across before, but I will now have fond memories of (with or without a dangling participle). 

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The four of us were joined for dinner by a distinguished couple, Daniel Drache, Professor of Political Science Emeritus, York University, author of Has Populism Won? The War on Liberal Democracy among others, and Marilyn Lambert-Drache, Professor French Language, York University, author of Sur le bout de la langue, among others. Daniel is also a noted gourmand who has navigated many a Chinese menu. Accordingly, we dined at Taste of China Seafood Restaurant, 338 Spadina Avenue, in Toronto's Chinatown, almost unrecognizable with its wide, well-lit streets.

The food, though, was true Chinatown. We had double lobsters with ginger ($65); green bass ($48); crispy fried chicken ($15.95 for a half); mixed vegetable fried rice ($15); stir-fried snow peas ($18.95); eggplant and bean curd in black bean sauce ($16.50). Service was particularly attentive since several people at the table spoke Chinese.

Thursday, October 15, 2026

As we left Toronto, I clarified an important point: Mark Carney, the Prime Minister, is not the guy who appeared on television with Jackie Gleason.

Friday, October 16, 2026

We ended this wonderful week at an increasingly rare event -- a jazz concert. In honor of Miles Davis's 100th birthday, the 92nd Street Y assembled an extremely talented group of musicians to recreate and interpret Kind of Blue, an immortal work released in 1959. Play it here (https://youtu.be/ylXk1LBvIqU?is=K8qVcXFycTmreJ1T) or, better, dig out the compact disc and play it on Japanese electronics through German speakers, like WWII never happened.

Seeing Is Believing

Saturday, October 3, 2026

In 1938, the Pittsburgh Pirates successfully sued a radio station that broadcast its games by placing observers in a building overlooking the ballpark, paying the Pirates nothing. That decision was cited last week when the Chicago Cubs were given a permanent injunction against a company that sold seats on a rooftop opposite Wrigley Field. Are you satisfied that the situations are legally analogous?

https://www.sportico.com/law/analysis/2026/chicago-cubs-win-rooftop-lawsuit-result-1234946459/?shem=aimgspe,

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While we are on the subject of sports, the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team fired its play-by-play television broadcaster hours after they announced hiring him. As a teenager in 2012 and 2013, he posted racist and misogynistic comments on Twitter.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/02/sport/trail-blazers-fire-tv-announcer-racist-posts?cid=ios_app

It seems unreasonable to hold the adult male responsible for the blatherings of a teenage boy, doesn't it? Except, he was dumb (with a b) enough to leave the posts up all these years on a still active account.

Sunday, October 4, 2026

How is the world spending its time?

Monday, October 5, 2026 

I returned to Wu's Dynasty, 210 West 70th Street, for lunch with three guys, none of whom accompanied me on my initial visit on September 9th, days after it opened. Again, the focus was dim sum delivered on carts wheeled around the bright room. We had nine different items, no duplicates. As usual, I lost track of the individual dishes, steamed, pan fried, deep fried. Bottom line came to $30 a person, substantially more than its Chinatown equivalent, but, then again, none of us live in a cold water flat in Chinatown.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

No doubt, books about the Cornell University gang rape are already being drafted by people knowledgeable and unknowledgeable alike. Aside from the ugly details of the encounter, I would like to read someday how this story took off, newspaper reports for many days now, television news coverage nightly. It warrants this exposure, but presumably so do many other crimes and offences that arouse little or no interest. What's special this time? 

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Fordham University, a Jesuit institution, has a healthy Jewish studies program. Tonight, we went there to see Sabbath Queen, a documentary about Amichai Lau-Lavie, a gay Israeli man from a family of rabbis going back many generations, including his father and his uncle, the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel. The movie was filmed over 21 years as Amichai comes out of the closet, leaves Israel for New York, performs as a drag queen, becomes involved with the proudly unconventional Lab Shul, enters the Jewish Theological Seminary and becomes ordained as a rabbi. It's some journey, as you might imagine. The movie's director was around to answer questions after the showing.  

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Christa Pike, the Tennessee inmate convicted of murder, has regained consciousness from the botched attempt to execute her.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/christa-pike-is-conscious-and-speaking-after-failed-execution-attempt-in-tennessee-her-attorneys-say

Shortly after news of Pike's resuscitation, Frank Strada, who resigned as prison warden soon after the failed execution, was allegedly offered a consulting role on vaccines and injections by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Just announcing this date will tell a story far into the future, like December 7th and 9/11. 

Tonight, we went to see The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, a documentary about October 7th. It's the rather amazing story of Noam Tibor, a retired Israeli general, living in Tel Aviv, armed only with a pistol and accompanied by his wife, who rushed to save his son and family in a besieged kibbutz abutting Gaza. For much of the movie, Tibor describes his mission as he retraces his path. 

For a valuable portion of the movie, we have to thank Hamas. A number of their participants live streamed their barbaric rampage, aiming at civilians at home, driving by or at the Nova music festival. Seeing the glee generated by the shooting up of modest residential dwellings, the execution of already wounded people and the tossing of grenades into huddled groups of concertgoers, I suspended my rachmones for the anticipated Gazan retaliatory victims. I'm only human, I guess. 

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I had two doctors' appointments, Dr. Ji for another shot in my back for pain relief and Dr. DeLuca to prepare for cataract surgery on my left eye. In between, I had lunch at Taco Mahal, 1109 Lexington Avenue, the third location in this venture attempting to fuse Indian and Mexican cuisines. It's a small place, brightly decorated in off-white and orange. You order at a counter and get served at one of six two-tops or two narrow ledges with two stools each. 

The results lean most heavily towards Asia over America. Rotis (pancakes) and naans (flatbreads) are wrapped around familiar dishes, such as saag paneer and lamb curry, and labelled tacos. I had the Taco Mahal Trio Special, chicken tikka masala on an onion naan, with a side of "Masala fries" and a bottle of Coke Zero, nominally for $24, I say nominally because a 20% tip was added on unasked.

The flavors were honest, not tamped down for hesitant tastes. Eight chunks of chicken in a spicy, creamy tomato sauce sat on a tasty, fresh onion naan. It proved quite filling, though not cheap.

Thursday, October 8, 2026

I went to Costco to get a pair of glasses for the interim period with one eye surgically repaired and the other not. It gave me the opportunity to get an all-beef, quarter-pound hot dog for $1.50 with all the Coke you can drink, well almost all, the Coke Zero fountain delivered seltzer only, no syrup.

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Cousins of cousins Barbara & Bernie's return to the Left Coast has been delayed sufficiently to have one last meal with us. We went to L'Incontro By Rocco, 1572 Second Avenue, once simply L'Incontro in Astoria. The 82-seat dining room was crowded, noisy without being uncomfortable and decorated just short of the point of being garish. The food was predictably good, the service attentive.

I had Vongole a Modo Nostro, stuffed clams, 4 for me, 2 for Bernie ($22) and Rigatoni al Ragu di Vitello, a large portion of al dente pasta with veal ragu ($28). Since I drove, I stuck to sparkling water. 

Friday, October 9, 2026

I paid a visit to Tom Terrific in his 43rd floor aerie overlooking the Hudson River where he is recovering from hip surgery. I mean surgery on his hip, not cool and groovy surgery.

Far Above Cayuga's Waters

Saturday, September 27, 2026

When I was in college well over 60 years ago, I worked Saturdays at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York in its magisterial law library. The reading room contained countless thousands of volumes within the attorneys' reach. My job, with other guys, was to fetch books from several floors of closed stacks. That was the state of legal research until 1973 when Lexis was introduced, followed by Westlaw in 1975, computerized search engines eventually having access to almost any legally relevant document anywhere. By 1998, when I went to law school, these were mature and highly efficient products that had revolutionized legal research. What I knew, though, from my business dealings, was that legal fees had risen steadily, billing by the hour replacing "For services rendered," the sort of gentlemen's agreement that had widely prevailed. Even as the time to do critical legal research shrunk dramatically, the client's cost to have it done seemed to jump geometrically.  

Now, the New York Times reports that AI is having this same counterintuitive economic effect.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/business/dealbook/ai-law-discount-billable-hour.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Less (human activity) is more (expensive). Go figure.

Healthcare seems to be experiencing the same paradox. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/business/ai-hospitals-insurers-health-care-costs.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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We went to lunch at Butch and Toby's, in the sukkah that Butch has been proudly erecting for more than 50 years. While there was no rain while we were there, a major storm had left things damp enough that we sought comfort indoors. We were not only comfortable, but well fed. Toby made apple/butternut squash soup, a green salad with tangerines and slivered almonds, roasted salmon, haricot verts (green beans with a passport) and chocolate chip cookies.

Sunday, September 27, 2026 

We have been watching the fifth season of Fauda on Netflix, the mostly fictionalized exploits of an Israeli commando team after October 7, 2023. However, episodes 6, 7 and 8 offer a view of the events of October 7th as Hamas attacked civilian and military targets inside Israel. I remember thinking back then that Hamas had scored an immediate tactical victory, only to expose itself and all of Gaza to violent retribution. Could it be worth it? 

Whether or not Hamas's leadership planned it, Israel stands largely defeated today in the aftermath of October 7th in spite of or maybe because of disproportionate casualty figures. Admiration by governments and populations has been replaced by skepticism and aloofness; toleration by other governments and populations has been replaced by scorn and opposition. The peace and security of diaspora Jews have been collateral damage. 

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

I had a session with my new physical therapist this morning. I took some time initially to explain that I am older and have a worldview rooted in many ways to events in the distant past. Additionally, I explained that I am prone to draw on cultural references from another time. That led, of course, to Charlie Chan and what going to the movies was like back then. You went to a double feature and entered at your convenience, not regarding starting times. You left when "this is where we came in," a phrase that proved useful on other occasions, but heard much less often now.

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In a hearing today intended to embarrass and compromise former special prosecutor Jack Smith, Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt accused Smith of perjury when Smith denied attending an Atlanta Hawks home game in February 2024. Schmitt then provided a blow up of text messages from Smith's colleagues discussing the basketball game and labelled him a "dirtbag"!!! It took Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar to explain that Smith attended a game at the University of Maryland on the date in question when the University of Iowa "Hawkeyes" were the visiting team.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/09/29/us/trump-jack-smith-senate-testimony

Bags of dirt may be sent to The Honorable Eric Schmitt, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510. 

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Hey, single guys, Kristi Noem, the sharpshooting former Secretary of Homeland Security, is getting divorced.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The handling of a rape case at Cornell University has aroused a lot of indignation. A couple of male students were expelled and several others disciplined in unspecified ways. No criminal charges were filed. The local district attorney seemed ineffectual, relying on university supplied evidence. However, our legislature is much to blame. It has failed to amend the governing statute, accurately paraphrased by the New York Times. "The way the [New York rape] law is written now, people who were voluntarily intoxicated cannot claim they were mentally incapacitated during an assault, unless they can show they were physically helpless. This means that they had to be unconscious or physically unable to communicate consent at the time of the act."

In this case, the female student victim was given beer, marijuana, rum and ketamine. She claimed to have been pressured, but not necessarily forced, to ingest them. No matter how her behavior is characterized, though, her impaired condition was evident and any exploitation of it warrants legal punishment.

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Once inside Westway Diner, 614 Ninth Avenue, you can easily forget that you are in midtown Manhattan and imagine that you have just pulled off Route 46 near Totowa, New Jersey. As Stony Brook Steve, Terrific Tom and I observed, Westway has the thick, plastic-coated menu, all-day breakfast, display of layer cakes too good to eat, and choice of any food that can fit in a microwave oven essential to a roadside diner. 

I had the Lamb Dip, sliced leg of lamb, melted mozzarella, au jus on toasted garlic bread with French fries ($17.99, $18.57 on credit card). The cheese was good, the bread was good, the French fries were good. The lamb, however, seemed to have missed even qualifying for the halal carts found on midtown street corners. Next time, I'll go for the vegetarian version.

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Happy Birthday to Susan and Moshe, otherwise unconnected.

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Madam and I went to hear Patti LuPone in concert, a program titled A Life in Notes. It was wonderful. She was accompanied by a pianist and a fellow on stringed instruments, violin, mandolin, guitar. The audience was interesting, definitely appearing to be a deserving Social Security crowd, yet able to jump to its feet several times for standing ovations, a feat exceeding my physical limitations.

Friday, October 2, 2026

When I first read about the Cornell rape scandal online, I thought that the story would come and go in a flash as often happens. I forwarded what I read to two friends, both proud Cornell alumni, one also the mother of a current student there, the other also a father of a graduate, thinking that they might miss it.

Instead, it has become a major story. Today's New York Times devotes more than two whole pages to it, beginning on the front page above the fold. "In direct and sometimes angry remarks, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York on Friday questioned how Cornell University’s police department and the local district attorney handled sexual assault allegations made by a former student, who said she had been raped at a fraternity house in 2024."

What will change in a country governed by a convicted sexual predator?