Saturday, March 9, 2024

Between the Lines

Saturday, March 2, 2024
Conservatism was shaped as a coherent political philosophy in the US by William F. Buckley, founder of the National Review.  Buckley was a Yale man whose erudition was always on display. Contrast that with some of today’s leading right wingers, J.D. Vance (Ohio State B.A., Yale J.D.), Ted Cruz (Princeton B.A., Harvard J.D.), Josh Hawley (Stanford B.A., Yale J.D.), who strive to be seen as oafs although guaranteed places at the elite trough. Then, there is Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, graduate of Southern Arkansas University, career college football coach before entering politics. He explained his restrictive view on immigration as based on “a million people every couple of months coming to this country that know nothing about God.”  
This warranted the senator being labeled “a world-class idiot.”

Sunday, March 3, 2024
A survey looked at 2,378 locations as prospective destinations for young home buyers, aged 25 to 34, you know 1/3 of me.  

It examined availability, affordability, job opportunities, commute time, culture and “liveliness” measures, among other factors, and found a very diverse group of attractive sites. At the top were Irondequoit, NY, Benton, AR, Winterset, IA and Newington, CT, all within larger metropolitan areas, both blue and red. This was somewhat positive real estate news, for a change.
.  .  .

We went to see the matinee performance of “Jelly’s Last Jam,” a high energy musical that helped us overcome jet lag. I enjoyed the show, but had some trouble with the playbill. Along with performers, production folks and back office people, it listed a Sensitivity Specialist. Of course, I looked her up and found she had credits with several shows as an “Intimacy/Cultural Sensitivity consultant.” I forwarded her résumé to Senator Tuberville.
.  .  .

After the theater, we went to Bengal Tiger Indian Food, 58 West 56th Street, for dinner. This was an accomplishment, because this narrow second floor joint doesn’t accept reservations and usually has a long wait for a table. Before five o’clock, we were able to sit right down, which wasn’t the case for those entering a few minutes later.

I had chicken saag, slightly overcooked chunks of white meat in spinach sauce ($18), naan ($4) and mango chutney ($5). Not bad as long as we didn’t have to wait.

Monday, March 4, 2024
What I did for love or what love did for me. The New York Rangers were playing the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden tonight and I had purchased tickets long in advance. As it happens, these two teams are at the very top of the National Hockey League, making this an important game. So, a 44-year old nephew of America’s Favorite Epidemiologist decided to get married for the first time this evening. Guess where I headed for?

Which turned out OK, because the Rangers lost 4-2, sparing me the direct exposure to agony. But, what if I were at the game offering enthusiastic support? Different result?

Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Stony Brook Steve and I went out to lunch on this cold, damp day, the kind of weather that makes you think of going on vacation. We ate the 74th Street Cafe at the Fairway Market, 2131 Broadway.  

I had the Breakfast Burger, Pat Lafrieda (locally prominent butcher) burger, over easy egg, maple bacon, cheddar cheese, avocado aioli, arugula and tomato on a brioche bun, the last two items on the side, with French fries ($17). The hefty burger is a good deal, nearly impossible to hold in your hand. Be wary of the Diet Coke, however, the smallest bottle you have ever seen for $2.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024
If it’s midtown, it must be Urban Hawker, 135 West 50th Street, the block-long food court with 17 vendors rooted in Singapore. It’s always proved more than satisfactory and today it really excelled.  I ordered from Prawnaholic, advertising that it was founded by Chef Alan, a beloved chap no doubt.

I had an enormous portion of Singapore Hokkien Mee, angel hair noodles in a delicious, soupy sauce, shrimp, eggs, chicken, calamari in a barrel shape that I have never seen before, and something crunchy ($18). Singaporean cuisine encompasses almost all of Asia. This dish is Fujian Chinese and lost nothing in the translation.

Thursday, March 7, 2024
That spunky old Rupert Murdoch is at it again. The 92-year old guy just got engaged to be married for the fifth time.  

The 25-year age difference between him and his beloved is apparently inconsequential. There is no truth to the rumor that they have to get married.
.  .  .

Oh, boy.  I just realized that I have been going to B&H Dairy, 127 Second Avenue, for over 60 years.  
That makes it a very old restaurant.

Friday, March 8, 2024
Last month was the warmest February on record.  
 
Donald Trump claims that his candidacy is the reason for this.
.  .  .

I just can’t imagine a better bargain in the Northern Hemisphere than the hot dog at Costco. I was at their atypical location at 517 East 117th, part of a multi-story, vertical shopping center, at lunchtime today, because of what I forgot to do on my visit there yesterday. I had the quarter-pound, all-beef hot  dog with the infinitely refillable fountain drink for $1.50. May I repeat, $1.50 for a hot dog and drink, a price that has held for years. What has changed is the hot dog. It used to a Hebrew National Kosher hot dog for $1.50 until 2008, when Costco brought production in house to maintain the price. While no longer Kosher, the hot dog is still all beef, as required by our fussy Jewish law.  You’d never know the difference.
.  .  .

As more schools return to using the Scholastic Aptitude Tests as part of their admission process, it will now be entirely digital, administered on computer.  
My mastery of the #2 pencil would now be useless.


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Saturday, March 2, 2024

Madeira, My Dear

Saturday, February 24, 2024
Madeira's international airport is located outside Funchal (foon chahl), the capital, home to about half the island's 260,000 population. It is named the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport for a famous living person, yet one unknown to many of us North Americans. He is a 39-year old professional soccer player, one of the best ever, born in Madeira, but of course. His #7 jersey is omnipresent in much of Europe since he played for several leading teams.
. . .

The second most famous person born in Madeira was John Dos Passos's grandfather, an unlikely lure for holiday seekers. How about Eli Manning International Airport, once known as Newark?

. . .

In my experience, the ride from an airport is usually pretty dull, especially after a long, wearying international flight. Madeira is different. Unless you keep your eyes shut, you vividly encounter the island’s dramatic topography. It is very hilly, rising 6,300 feet at its highest point, with deep valleys cutting through. There are only rare stretches of flat ground or straight paths. 

Photographers thrive, while those of us prone to vertigo squirm. It's exciting in any case.   

. . .

Our large, modern hotel is right at the Atlantic Ocean, designed to give every room an ocean view. Similar properties bracket it. It has all the amenities you might expect, indoor pool, outdoor pool, spa, several bars, lots of space to sprawl.

Our tour group consists of 5 men, all attached; 15 women, either attached to the men, attached to each other, attached to reluctant husbands at home, or unattached. All but one of us seems eligible for Social Security. They come from all over; no region predominates. The most popular hometown is not New York, but Rochester, that is if you combine Rochester, New York and Rochester, Minnesota. We had our first dinner together at the hotel, ordinary and unworthy of documenting except for the buffet dessert bar, which provided six delightful treats without exhausting the possibilities.

Sunday, February 25, 2024
Touring began today, although we spent the first hour in a hotel conference room learning about Madeira's history. It was discovered by Portuguese sailors in 1419, driven off course by a storm. While there is some evidence that it might have been discovered earlier, it was uninhabited, a real surprise that there were no indigenous people to decimate. It was heavily forested, though. Madeira means wood in Portuguese. Today, housing, grapevines, sugar cane and banana plants cover much of the land.  

. . .

We lunched together at a country villa, surrounded by vineyards. The setting was special, the food not, as I expect every group meal to be. Dessert was a very good passion fruit mousse, however. It is worth noting that every group lunch and dinner is accompanied by unlimited wine.

Afterwards, we visited Museu da Baleia da Madeira, the Madeira Whale Museum. Whaling was active on Madeira for only 45 years, succumbing to international pressure in 1985. The museum presents a detailed, non-judgemental examination of whaling.  Whatever else, it was very hard work.

Monday, February 26, 2024
It was a bit early for wine tasting, but we started the morning at the Madeira Wine Company, a family enterprise founded and operated by the Blandy family since 1811. Madeira, I learned, is a method of making a fortified wine exclusive to the island. Several local grapes are used, but only one to a batch. Years may be mixed and the wine labeled with the average. I was taken with the single year Harvest 2016 Malmsey Coelheita Madeira, so I bought a bottle. Come over and try some.

. . .

I was apprehensive about the next group activity, a ride on the Funchal cable car, rising 560 meters over a distance of 3,200 meters.

While my BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) was cured last year, I still suffer from a touch of AHV (Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo), fear of heights. I cringe at the edge of a deep drop and a little cable car does not seem to be sufficiently protective. However, as Elizabeth Warren did in the face of Mitch McConnell, I persisted and had a lovely ride.

. . .

This very busy day continued with a visit to the Madeira Botanical Garden, an 80,000 m2 park (nearly 20 acres), privately created, but open to the public. It was splendid. Madeira seems naturally conducive to vegetation and over 2,000 exotic species from around the world are thriving in this garden.

. . .

At last a good meal, not a great meal, but a good meal. Indian Palace, Estrada Monumental 197, is one steep staircase above our hotel. Its 30 tables filled up before we finished. The menu was conventional and the prices were reasonable. I had the Indian Palace Biryani, a large serving, very tasty, containing chicken, lamb and shrimp, just slightly overcooked (€14.50). I drank a pint of local draft beer with it (€3.90). Madam had Palak Paneer, cubes of cheese in pureed spinach (€8.90). Worth a climb up the stairs.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Speaking of Alabama, it’s interesting how its Supreme Court has extended the right to life to an invisible cell cluster while its public health system is unable to offer reasonable protection to women in childbirth. Alabama has the nation’s highest maternal mortality rate, denying Mississippi its normal last place.  https://milkeninstitute.org/report/maternal-mortality-vulnerable-us-communities

. . .

We drove up to nearly the highest point on the island, which requires acknowledgment of our driver who maneuvers our bus, twice as large as needed, up and down, in and out, around and about roads that combine the worst features of the Pacific Coast Highway and the Amalfi Coast.

From the dizzying heights, we went down to the seacoast for lunch next to the roaring surf. Dessert was vanilla ice cream over fresh fruit salad.

. . .

We visited Quinta da Casa Branca, home to a British family that pioneered the wine trade. Consistent with its character, we had a traditional afternoon tea, little sandwiches, petit fours, scones, clotted cream, raspberry jam. Lady and Lord Kennington, our London friends, would have felt completely at home.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Even at a distance, we get news of American politics. What I learned about the Michigan primary:
Trump 68% = Triumph
Biden 81% = Tragedy

. . .

We began the day with an interesting discussion of Madeiran economics, politics, educational and social issues. Much of it is a subset of Portugal’s with higher salaries and better weather. 

. . .

After a visit to Jardin do Lago, another lovely botanical garden, we got back to our hotel early and I not only had a nap, but I sat in a whirlpool bath for a bit, trying to loosen up some of my kinky limbs.

. . .

Dinner tonight wasn't bad. I enjoyed my dessert, passion fruit mousse with ice cream, special order. I'm not writing up the group meals, because it's not what you would get walking in the door, for better or worse.

Thursday, February 29, 2024
They call them toboggans, wicker chairs on wooden runners, pushed and pulled by men in white pants and straw hats, looking like errant gondoliers. You ride down a steep hill on a road still used by vehicular traffic, adding a frisson of excitement on the 2 kilometer run. It’s definitely a tourist “must” and good fun.

. . .

We drove back up to a 1,400 meter peak for a nature walk that was compromised by steady rain, although it didn’t rain in the bus where I sat reading a Parker novel by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark.

. . .

Madam and I had lunch on our own at il Basílico, Rua de Leichlingen 9, an Italian restaurant feet from the Atlantic Ocean. We sat outside where it was sunny and mild, a dramatic contrast from the morning’s rain and wind. I had the Vesuvio pizza, mozzarella, pepperoni, anchovies, black olives, capers (€18), very much worth it.

. . .

The group’s farewell dinner was at Restaurante Goya, Rua Simplício dos Passos Gouveia, a relatively posh place. The meal almost transcended being prepared in bulk.  We started with spinach ravioli in a garlicky cream sauce. I had a roasted duck quarter, leg and thigh, with little fat or waste.  Dessert seemed a mix of the inevitable passion fruit mousse and tiramisu. Definitely a good ending to our holiday.

Friday, March 1, 2024
While some of our fellow travelers have to leave the hotel as early as 2 A.M., we are blessed with a civilized 9:30 A.M. departure for a noon flight. We are scheduled to arrive at JFK at 7:45 in the evening, in time for me to polish this text before the usual Saturday morning publication.
 
In fact, we landed at 7:20 P.M. after an extraordinary flight on Azores Airlines 4247. What was extraordinary was 51 passengers on an Airbus 321Neo, which is usually configured for 244 passengers.

Photo credits - Carolyn Berge

€1 = $1.08



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Saturday, February 24, 2024

Frequent Flyers

Saturday, February 17, 2024
What sort of day was it?  A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times.  And it’s Michael Jordan's birthday and Adam Fox's birthday, among others.
.  .  .

We saw a preview tonight of a new play with the all-encompassing title “Corruption", giving no hint of time or place.  It's a docudrama about the telephone hacking scandal that surrounded Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper empire a dozen years ago.  I enjoyed the play very much, although, while the actual events stirred righteous indignation, they soon were overtaken by greater perfidy.     

Sunday, February 18, 2024
Now that you have acquired a splendid primary residence and a comfortable getaway home, you can look for a vacation rental to generate some spare change.

What I found interesting about this list is how unfamiliar many of the top locations were.  Why do you go there if you never heard of them?
.  .  .

Operating in “the most linguistically diverse metropolis on earth,” the Endangered Language Alliance tries to keep languages alive.  This is a review of a new book about their heroic efforts. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/19/books/review/language-city-ross-perlin.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Incidentally, it includes a link to a video recording of a trip to China narrated in Yiddish to test your linguistic skills.

Monday, February 19, 2024
Leaving the gym (sounds so much better than physical therapy) this morning, I came across a gaggle of Girl Scouts selling cookies at the corner of Broadway and West 68th Street.  As a supporter of youth and carbohydrates, I bought a box of Adventurefuls®, a recent addition to the cookie lineup, “brownie-inspired cookies topped with caramel flavored crème with a hint of sea salt.”

As it happens, Girl Scout cookies were on my mind, because I had just heard about a line of personal care products, such as deodorants, “inspired by some of the most popular Girl Scout Cookie™ flavors.”https://www.nativecos.com/collections/limited-edition

Can you imagine walking around smelling like brownie-inspired cookies topped with caramel flavored crème with a hint of sea salt?
.  .  .

It’s Monday, so I had the Monday special at Pastrami Queen, 138 West 72nd Street, pastrami on rye with a can of Dr. Brown’s diet black cherry ($19.95, about 30% off).  Stony Brook Steve stuck with the mushroom barley soup.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Kind Ken Klein joined me for lunch at El Mitote, 208 Columbus Avenue, a casual Mexican restaurant, although it has tripled its size with a sidewalk shed and a curbside shed.  I had the Bisteca platter, grilled steak chopped into small pieces, carmelized onion, Mexican rice, black beans, mixed greens, guacamole and tortillas ($22).  Generous quantity, average quality.  On the other hand, the glass of sangria made with a shot of tequila enhanced the entire experience ($13).

Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Terrific Tom and I could be counted as two roosters having lunch at Three Roosters, 792 Ninth Avenue.  This is a Thai restaurant offering chicken, chicken or chicken, grilled chicken, fried chicken or poached chicken.  We both ordered The Basic, a dark meat chicken cutlet, beautifully fried, sliced into half-inch strips ($13.95).  It came with a portion of carefully cooked French fries, dusted with Zab seasoning, described as combining “spiciness, citrus notes, saltiness, and a touch of sweetness.”  It made an excellent meal, matched with a Diet Coke.

Thursday, February 22, 2024
Doing the Right Thing isn’t necessarily hard, figuring out what it is might be.  This century has seen a rejection of standardized testing as the gateway for admissions to more prestigious educational institutions.  Stuyvesant High School, my nurturing mother, has maintained this exclusivity policy, while the Ivy League and other top colleges and universities turned towards other, presumably more democratic, selection methods.  

I was skeptical of this trend, more on practical than theoretical grounds.  Apples are more like apples than cellists to basketball players.  That is, judging kids with disparate skill sets is inevitably rife with subjectivity.  “Quality” is harder to measure and maybe more difficult to explain.

Yale University just announced that it is returning to the use of standardized test scores in its admissions process, because “our researchers and readers found that when admissions officers reviewed applications with no scores, they placed greater weight on other parts of the application.  But this shift frequently worked to the disadvantage of applicants from lower socio-economic backgrounds.” 

Better (richer) schools provided applicants with a better platform to display subjective skills, so says Yale.  Without test scores, disadvantaged schools did little to advance their students.

Friday, February 23, 2024
In the good old days, the graduate student population of Cornell University’s Government Department on campus was under 50, 15-20 new students admitted each year.  So, it was remarkable that we had a reunion of sorts today of five of us who entered the program in 1962.  We met virtually on Zoom, David Mervin from England, three guys from the Washington area and me.  I had not seen David Boesel since 1965; I visited Larry Storrs’s home in 1990; I ran into John Fox near the United Nations 30-something years ago; David Mervin was just here for a family celebration.   
While the gathering might be an excuse to feel old, as if we need another reminder, I found it rejuvenating.  It was a chance to bring back memories, reliving a critical time when careers were launched or sunk.  Where there was hair, it was white.  Otherwise, we looked pretty good for seriously old men.
.  .  .

Tonight, the Upper West Side’s Power Couple are leaving for a one-week visit to Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal.  Why Madeira, you may ask?  The best answer is that it’s not Florida and it’s not Israel.  Perched in the Atlantic Ocean, several hundred miles off the coast of Africa, we are seeking some temporary comfort and mild temperatures.  It has the provocative motto: Das Ilhas as Mais Belas e Livres (Of all islands, the most beautiful and free).  Take that Capri, Catalina and Coney.

Saturday, February 24, 2024
I'll bet that this is the first e-mail that you ever received from the airport at Ponta Delgada, Azores.

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Saturday, February 17, 2024

Lunch Breaks

Saturday, February 10, 2024
An auspicious day.  A major birthday for Cindy McMullen and the Chinese New Year (the Year of the Dragon).

Sunday, February 11, 2024
It was a pretty good football game.

Monday, February 12, 2024
The hot topic in the sports section today, that’s if you can still find a sports section, was San Francisco’s decision to take the ball first in overtime.  However, I haven’t seen mention of the critical play that cost them the game much earlier — the blocked extra point, that nearly automatic, taken-for-granted, extra point.  20-19 means no overtime.
.  .  .

The first webinar of the day was “Antisemitism, the Israel-Hamas War, and Distorting the Law of Genocide: A Perfect Storm,” given by Menachem Z. Rosensaft, a Cornell University Law School professor, and child of Holocaust survivors, at 5 P.M.  He pointed out that antisemitic rhetoric and violence had been on the rise domestically well before October 7, 2023.  

This was followed at 7 P.M. by “How Campuses Turned Against the Jews” by Andrew Pessin, professor of philosophy at Connecticut College.  He demonstrated that anti-Israel activity on campuses surged on October 7th even while Hamas was still marauding on Israeli soil.  Then, I kicked the cat.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Say it ain’t so: “Jared Kushner says he wouldn’t serve in a second Trump administration”
.  .  .

As part of its Valentine’s Day coverage, the New York Times has an article on romantic breakups conducted in public, restaurants particularly.  

While I broke or was broken up with many times in the past, I don’t recall it spoiling a good meal.  However, I remember being a bystander at one supercharged event.  It was decades ago and I was out for a late meal with my inamorata du jour at Umberto’s Clam House on Mulberry Street, site of at least one Mafia mob hit.  

A young couple, what we would now call heteronormative, were seated a few feet away, directly in my line of sight.  Suddenly, she stood up, pushed the table over, coating his lap with some fine Cucina Italiana, and ran out the door.  Mamma mia!
.  .  .

Stony Brook Steve and I went to lunch at Noodies [no, not Noodles] Thai Kitchen, 830 Ninth Avenue, a tiny joint, packed with 15 tinier two-tops.  One long wall was exposed brick, the other covered with dozens of ceramic bowls affixed to the wall, a very colorful display.  Three funky chandeliers hung above.  The food was less interesting than the decor.  The soup included with the lunch special was notable, a tomatoey hot and sour, with some mushrooms afloat, just right on this cold day.  I had Pad Woon Sen, a modest portion of glass noodles with carrots, mushrooms, scallions, yellow onions, egg, tomatoes and four shrimp, good enough ($14.95).  

Thursday, February 15, 2024
Jay Stanley is in town doing his work as the ACLU’s privacy maven, although, given Jay’s deep New England Yankee roots, maven may be an inappropriate term.  We had lunch at Bill’s Bar & Burger Downtown, 85 West Street, which I took to be a long-established neighborhood joint. Instead, it is an enormous operation, covering most of the ground floor of a new Marriott Hotel, with tables of every size and shape, from intimate two-tops to the seder with all the in-laws.  

Hamburgers are at the center of its menu, running $15.95 to $19.95.  In aiming to be different, I either misread the menu, misspoke my choice or was misheard by the waiter and wound up with a Big Bird BLT (sliced turkey), not the Crispy Chicken Sandwich that I wanted ($16.95 in either case).  We were somewhat rushed for time, so I kept my disappointing dish.  Fountain soft drinks were $4.50; it took two refills of Diet Coke to be at peace with that.  

Friday, February 16, 2024
I am trying to come to grips with the fact that chocolate chip ice cream is an endangered species.  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/15/business/chocolate-chip-ice-cream.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
 
Once upon a time, the addition of chocolate chips was a departure from the smooth consistency of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream, the reigning flavor triumvirate.  Nowadays, the proliferation of flavors and add-ins has taken the consumer beyond the simple pleasures.  So, shelf space is taken by Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch, Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Core, Matcha Green Tea and Salted Caramel Almond, leaving plain chocolate chip out of the cold.  Cherish Häagen-Dazs Double Belgian Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, however.
.  .  .

You recognize this photograph taken in 1932 during construction of Rockefeller Center.

What I just noticed is that no one is wearing penny loafers.


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Saturday, February 10, 2024

Something to Celebrate

Saturday, February 3, 2024 
The music was too loud, as seems to be inevitable at these events, but we joyfully attended a dual Bat Mitzvah today.  It was held for two sisters, not twins, but close enough in age to make a joint ceremony a wise choice.

The girls were a delight, overlaying the traditional prayers and ritual with their own original words and dance.  Additionally, they spoke loudly and clearly before an adult audience, something that many adolescents are unable to manage.  

A very special element of the event for me was the attendance of their paternal grandfather, my friend of more than 60 years, David Mervin, coming from England with other family members, all of who in a Jewish setting for the first time.  I warned David that this fraternization may eventually extend his time in Purgatory.

Sunday, February 4, 2024
Another foreign visitor today was my niece Susan, coming from Shanghai to see her father.  She was accompanied by her son Tomás, who has the very interesting role of Tour Interpreter at Alcatraz, the now inactive, notorious Federal penitentiary.

We had lunch at Seasons 52, 217 Lafayette Avenue, Edison, New Jersey, a member of a national chain of far-better-than-average restaurants.  It is big, with spacious seating, showing sports on televisions above the bar, a legal requirement in its suburban locale.

I had the lump crab cake sandwich, generously piled on a potato bun, with a fresh green salad instead of the ubiquitous French fries ($17.50).  It was good, but not as good as the “Wood Grilled Tenderloin Salad” that I had last time ($22).  I also skipped the delicious lobster bisque this time, which you should not do ($12).

Monday, February 5, 2024
After a visit to the orthopedist to discuss the (lack of) progress of my recuperation from hip surgery, I met Gentleman Jerry at Madison Square Garden, where the New York Rangers treated us to dinner before the hockey game.  Or maybe it was Chase Bank who offered hot wings and snack-size hot dogs and pieces of steak over creamed spinach plus free soft drinks.  

And for dessert, we got a 2-1 victory in overtime.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024
As if David Mervin’s trip to the U.S.A. was not memorable enough, I invited him to join the Boyz Club at lunch in Chinatown, Wo Hop, 17 Mott Street, of course.  

The menu: Egg rolls, crispy fried noodles, duck chow fun, beef with scallions, honey crispy chicken, ginger and scallion lo mein, mushroom fried rice, shrimp with lobster sauce.  Seven guys, $150.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Remember way back when media had the Holy Land on the verge of becoming a ghost town?  


Now, that it’s evident that we are not going away, the challenge is to broaden the vitality to encompass many more who are struggling to fit in.

Thursday, February 8, 2024
I just received a message that tomorrow is National Bagels & Lox Day.  Whatever the source of this designation, I strongly object to it.  Tomorrow is Friday; bagels and lox are for Sunday, occasionally Saturday if you are having company.  Mondays, a pastrami sandwich is on special at Pastrami Queen.  Wednesday, a gyro from a street cart (almost all run by Egyptians).  Friday, a legacy tuna fish sandwich.  Tuesday and Thursday, look for a good fried chicken sandwich and a hamburger, many possibilities.  Note that pizza may be substituted on one weekday.  All of this applies to daylight, when you can see what you are eating.  
.  .  .

I hosted a Zoom talk tonight by Rabbi Jonah Rank, President & Rosh Yeshivah of Hebrew Seminary, A Rabbinical School for Deaf & Hearing, "How Jewish is Democracy?"  He identified key principles of democracy and cited ancient Hebrew texts as precedents.  He did a great job, although thousands of years of rumination will provide support for almost anything.  

Two corollaries arise from Rabbi Rank’s presentation:
  • How democratic is Judaism?
  • How democratic should Judaism be?
Friday, February 9, 2024
Until yesterday, Robert K. Hur labored in obscurity, investigating the handling of classified documents by Joe Biden out of office.  Then, he propelled himself to the heights of James Comey by embroidering his findings with some verbal hand grenades.  His reference to a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” will long live in history as it possibly seals the fate of its subject.  Meanwhile, others bow at the feet of a self-confessed, convicted sexual predator. 

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