Friday, October 11, 2024

Ever Again

Saturday, October 5, 2024 
Which country leads the world in innovation, asks The Economist. Its answer is Switzerland, followed by Sweden, United States, Singapore and Great Britain. 

If this result surprises you as it did me, note that the article says it “adopts a broad definition of innovation.” I’m not sure how I would define innovation — number of patents, adoption of technology, improvements in public services? Of course, the issue always remains “To what end?” Consider Henry David Thoreau’s comment: “We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.”

Sunday, October 6, 2024
The Washington Post has published an important investigation into Hamas’s preparations for the October 7th attack on Israel.

It helps one understand the initial success of the invasion and the challenge of the Israeli response. It found that, instead of relying on outside sources, much of the weaponry was developed in Gaza in a vast underground network that seemed to be vastly underestimated by the IDF and outside observers generally. “Costing, at minimum, hundreds of millions of dollars — money that Hamas diverted from humanitarian and economic development projects intended to improve the lives of ordinary Gazans — the tunnel system by Oct. 7 extended more than 300 miles, longer than the New York City subway, or about the distance from Tel Aviv to southern Turkey.”

An ugly consequence of this accomplishment is the vast destruction of lives and property as Israel sought to eliminate this critical element of the Hamas war effort.
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As a renter, your feelings about your local real estate market are probably determined by your position -- well entrenched vs. poised to change. What's considered a hot market may be too scalding for many.    

If God rivals or exceeds Mammon in making your life choices, regard this. "The Dallas-Fort Worth region is home to more than 6,500 houses of worship, the highest concentration in the top 10 largest urban regions in the country, according to the 2020 U.S. religion census. Four of the 20 largest churches in the country are in the area."

Monday, October 7, 2024
Today is another day that will live in infamy. I cannot imagine an appropriate way to commemorate this day in the future. However, David Prager makes a valuable contribution. 
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How can you ignore a place called Handsome Rice, 133 East 31st Street, especially when it is around the corner from one of the multitude of doctors now on my payroll? It’s a tiny storefront with four two-tops on the sidewalk and a shed at the curb. It serves Korean comfort food and hamburgers.

I ordered bulgogi, a large portion of tasty shredded, marinated beef ribeye over purple rice (that’s where the handsome comes in) ($15).

Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Another day, another doctor. This time it’s for mo’ MOHS, an attack on an ugly patch of skin on my forehead.
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To begin the healing process, I had lunch with Terrific Tom at The Corner, 698 Ninth Avenue, my second visit in a few weeks, the memory of a very good lunch still fresh in my mind. Of course, another $20 off coupon helps my appetite.

We dug in and had an excellent meal, starting with Peking duck egg rolls ($14 for 2 pieces) and thin, crispy scallion pancakes ($8). Then, we turned to main courses, large portions of walnut shrimp, “Crispy giant prawns are quick-fried and tossed in our grand marnier sauce” ($28), and Sizzling Black Pepper Filet Mignon, stir-fried with mushrooms and onions ($26). The flavors nicely contrasted, both delicious. 

On each occasion, The Corner had very little business at lunchtime. It is located right in the Theater District and maybe it has a bustling dinner business to keep its doors open. I can only hope.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Last week, Marjorie Taylor Greene, congressional representative from Georgia, created a new scientific discipline, ethnopolitical meteorology. “Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”
Since then, it has been bantered about as to who these hurricane propagators are. We Jews are the #1 candidates, always a reasonable deduction. However, I am dubious. We are just too busy exercising international political and economic power to deal with the weather.

Thursday, October 10, 2024
This headline caught my eye. "TD Bank Pleads Guilty and Pays $3 Billion to Settle Money-Laundering Case." I am awed by a business having $3 billion lying around to be able to pay such an enormous fine. Or, do they have to borrow money from the Rothschilds?
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Quote of the week.
Thordur O. Thordarson, the Reykjavik museum’s chief operating officer: “We are a penis museum, yes, but we are a serious penis museum.”

Friday, October 11, 2024
Kamala Harris calls for us “to turn the page,” a convenient way to distance herself from Presidents Biden and Trump, the former viewed as a burden, the latter as an obstacle. I wish it were that easy. I recoiled at this print headline, slightly different on-line. “A Columbia Student Group Endorses Hamas and Oct. 7”

I believe that this group, at least, is so deeply rooted in historic prejudice that a future of reconciliation and peace is unattainable. 5785, please prove me wrong!
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After that recent episode with the bacon grease at Temple Israel of Natick, I am trying to stay within the boundaries of my faith/heritage/religion/nationality/ethnicity/ancestry/belief system/tradition/tribe. Therefore, I am releasing this missive before sundown ushers in Tishrei 10. To play it safe, you might want to wait a day to read it.



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Saturday, October 5, 2024

שָׁנָה טוֹבָה‎‎

Saturday, September 28, 2024 
Hurricane Helene has set some unfortunate records for destruction. A number of organizations have stepped forward to aid in the recovery process for the affected areas. 

At the urging of Governor Ron DeSantis, I have assembled a large team of hearty Venezuelans who are being bussed to Tallahassee this weekend to assist Floridians in bringing sunshine back to the Sunshine State.

Sunday, September 29, 2024
I saw this list of allegedly the most important dishes in American cuisine and I knew that I could do better.   https://www.cnn.com/travel/american-food-best-dishes-cuisine?cid=ios_app

Here are my 20 items.
  • Apple pie
  • Bagel and lox 
  • Barbecue
  • Black and white cookie 
  • Blueberry muffin
  • Brownies 
  • Cheesecake 
  • Chocolate chip cookie
  • Coca-Cola
  • Deep dish (Chicago) pizza
  • Eggs Benedict 
  • Grilled steak
  • Hamburger 
  • Hot dog
  • Lobster roll
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich 
  • Potato chips 
  • Roast turkey 
  • Southern fried chicken 
  • Spaghetti and meatballs 
Some comments. I am not going to get embroiled in a barbecue debate. Deep dish (Chicago) pizza is a radical departure from classic Neapolitan pizza. Europeans roast good beef, we grill it. The contents of a hamburger and a hot dog were well established, but putting them in a bun was American ingenuity.

Monday, September 30, 2024
Speaking of Southern fried chicken, I went to H Mart, 210 Amsterdam Avenue, which offers high quality produce, a huge inventory of Asian packaged products and prepared food to go, particularly South Korean fried chicken from bb.q Chicken, the international chain. I bought a box of Golden Original Boneless, more than a pound of crunchy pieces ($13.49). There is no place to sit in H Mart, so I walked about a block onto the grounds of Lincoln Towers and parked on a picnic table, where I almost finished the whole box of chicken.

Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Happy Birthday, Susan, Moshe and Jimmy.
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New York’s Mayor Eric Adams, the second African American to hold the office, has been indicted by the federal government on charges of using his influence in exchange for luxury travel benefits. This morning, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York admitted to a serious case of mistaken identity. The actual alleged perpetrator is Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
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My young bride deserved a treat, so we went to Baazi, 2588 Broadway, a new Indian restaurant replacing an old Indian restaurant. Its front is all window and one long wall is mirrored. Half the opposite wall is a bar with a drawing of the Red Fort in Old Delhi in the rest of the space. There is also a second floor that I never saw.

We didn’t eat much, just a main course each, but the food was very good. I had “Hyderabadi murgh biryani,” chicken biryani by any other name ($22). I’ve rarely had better, distinguished in quality and quantity. It was loaded with very tender chicken. The vegetarian side of the table had “Seven leaf saag Paneer,” cottage cheese in super smooth spinach purée ($22).

Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Tonight begins the Jewish High Holidays. Our days run from sunset to sunset. We passed on sunrise to sunrise and midnight to midnight. We will be attending services at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) Harlem, 318 West 118th Street, a new venue for us. I am changing after 20 years, because our synagogue has become a platform for anti-Zionism. To our enemies, Zionism is about the State of Israel, to me, Zionism is about the Jewish people.

Harlem and Jews are not an unusual combination. When Harlem was developed as a residential neighborhood at the turn of the 20th century, Jews flocked there. I don’t know why, but African Americans began to populate the area after WWI, eventually establishing Harlem as the capital of Black America. 

In the last 20 years or so, the demographics have changed with new construction and the refurbishment of older structures. According to the 2020 census, Harlem no longer has a Black majority. 

CCNY, my alma mater, as well as my brother’s and so many of my friends’ till this day, sits in a prominent place in Harlem. Unfortunately, in my day, there were few Black students and negligible engagement with the community.

The college’s student body has changed inversely to the surrounding population. Once home to first generation Jews from the Lower East Side and ethnic enclaves in Brooklyn and the Bronx, it now has a predominantly Black and brown student body, with a strong element of foreign born students.
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Before we entered the JCC’s building, I noticed Lee Lee’s Baked Goods, 283 West 118th Street, reputed to have excellent rugelach. What better way to start the new year? We bought half a dozen hefty ones, $3 each. Later in the evening, after returning from services we were able to confirm the wisdom of our purchase. A#1.

The 80 seats at the JCC were all occupied, mostly by whites, but not as monochromatically as too many Jewish congregations. The building, an open rectangle, is easily recognized as having once been a garage. Mira Rivera is the rabbi, the first Filipina-American woman to be ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary. The Rabbinical Assembly (Conservative) prayer book was used and the service was friendly and familiar. We are returning.

Incidentally, given the multi-front warfare in the Middle East and the reaction to it here, the mood of the assembly seemed wary, but ultimately positive.
 

Friday, October 4, 2024
I’m old enough to say “To Hell with the future. I don’t care about what’s coming up.” However, for whatever reason, I’m unwilling to ignore the future. I just looked at recent credit card statements and found that I made 23 contributions to political campaigns from July 10th through September 8th. Involved were the presidential race and a healthy handful of Senate and House contests throughout the country. Quick, who is running against Kirsten Gillibrand?
.  .  .
 
The label Amazin’ Mets emerged in 1969, when the baseball team created in 1962 went from last place in 1968 to win the World Series the next year. This Worst to First run was not singular, but quite rare in all professional sports, especially in baseball. Last night, we saw a giant step in resuscitating the label as the Mets rescued their season with a last minute victory in Milwaukee about as dramatic as the last minute victory three days earlier in Atlanta. It’s a great start to 5785.


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Saturday, September 28, 2024

Dietary Unrestrictions

Saturday, September 21, 2024 
It wasn’t by design, but our trip to Massachusetts corresponded to David, Irit, Boaz and Noam taking prominent roles in Sabbath services at Temple Israel of Natick. Before we went to the synagogue, though, we had breakfast at the hotel, offered at an extra charge unnecessarily.

I took some machine-scrambled eggs, an almost fresh bagel and some very tasty peach nectar. However, as I was reaching for some bacon, one piece fell from the tongs onto the leg of my pants, leaving a dozen small, but noticeable, spatters above the left knee on my tan pants, immediate punishment for my callous disregard of the laws of my people. Fortunately, it was raining out, so raindrops initially disguised the evidence of my apostasy as I entered the shul.

I had not brought my own tallis (prayer shawl); I took one from the community rack at the entrance to the sanctuary, a conventional arrangement. Then, the risk to my immortal soul got even more serious. When I sat down, one edge of the tallis lay directly on the area of my pants stained with bacon fat. Hashem, we have a problem.

Had I not been seated in the middle of a crowded synagogue, I might have put the pants and the tallis on a bonfire. Instead, I rested a copy of the weekly program on my leg as long as I was seated. When I had to stand, I avoided being near a short person whose gaze might drift downward. Eventually, I emerged without any further complications in the secular realm.  The final reckoning awaits.

Sunday, September 22,2024
“For much of my life, I’ve struggled with Judaism, but now I know that struggling with Judaism, whether internally in our minds and hearts, or externally within the physical and political world, is just as much a part of being Jewish as is our embracing of it.”
Max Pearlstein on the 32nd anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah.

Monday, September 23, 2024
"The law in Iowa, which went into effect in 2023, prohibits any material that depicts sexual acts from all K-12 schools, with the exception of religious texts.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/23/books/new-state-laws-are-fueling-a-surge-in-book-bans.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=highlightShare&ngrp=mnp

Who needs “Portnoy’s Complaint” when you have Ezekiel 16:17?
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Geography Test:
When two women got into an argument over reclining seats on an airplane, one accused the other of “throwing around some nasty comments, calling me a ‘Mainland girl’ and other derogatory stuff.” Were the two disputants from Hong Kong and China or Staten Island and Manhattan?
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Although currently not in need of his services, I had lunch with distinguished criminal defense attorney Paul Bergman. We went to The Corner, 698 Ninth Avenue. Unlike many other new Chinese restaurants, it is decorated to look like a Chinese restaurant, not the lounge of an airport hotel.

Its menu, on the other hand, is not entirely conventional. For instance, we started with a filet mignon egg roll ($6), an excellent concoction. We also had Spicy Rock Shrimp with Scallion Pancakes ($19), a very large portion, almost indistinguishable from popcorn shrimp, in a sweet and spicy sauce. The equally delicious scallion pancake was thin and brittle. The Crispy Steak with Our Tangerine Peel Sauce ($26) was as identified.

All of this good food was enhanced by the $31.50 Groupon coupon, which paid for the first $50 of food and beverage, excluding the lunch specials, $12-16 with rice and soup. I might actually pay retail for this food.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
I went to see Dr. DeLuca today, my friendly eye doctor. It was time for another visual field test and I must be losing it, because I took it without getting wrought. No grumbling, no tossing of furniture, no stamping of feet even. As you may recall, a visual field test requires putting your head in a hollowed out pumpkin or something similar and pushing a button when you see a pinpoint of light somewhere, up, down, left, right.

My problem with the test comes from my youth. I grew up in Brooklyn where every day presented competitive challenges. Every light that I miss is like a swing and a miss at stickball, for instance. But, I was striking out today without getting nutso. Is that a benefit of aging?

Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Terrific Tom and I were in an exploratory mood today, so we headed to Mazzy’s Chopped Cheese, 617 Ninth Avenue. We had never been there and Tom was unfamiliar with chopped cheese altogether, bodegas’ gift to humankind. Unfortunately, Mazzy’s was gone, whereabouts unknown, but fortunately, you are least likely to starve in that neighborhood, loaded with joints of every flavor.

We went directly across the street to Tim Ho Wan, 610 Ninth Avenue, a branch of the Michelin-starred Hong Kong dim sum specialist, which has never disappointed us. The Baked BBQ Pork Buns ($8.75 for 3 pieces) are an all-time favorite and we had two orders. Also, Har Gow ($7.75 for 4 pieces); pork wontons in spicy sauce ($9.50 for 6 pieces); deep fried spring roll with egg white and shrimp ($7.75 for 3 pieces); steamed rice with minced beef and pan fried egg ($8.15). Only the last dish I would not reorder, not bad, just boring.

Thursday, September 26, 2024
Soft food for the next few days. Dr. Nolan and his minions spent several hours in my mouth trying to return matters to status quo ante. Conclusive steps await.

Friday, September 27, 2024
Today is National Hug a Vegetarian Day. 

Of course, most vegetarians of my acquaintance flee at the sight of me. Since I am still sticking to soft foods for a day or so, it’s easier to approximate vegetarianism, if not fully embrace it. For lunch at home today, I reached into my culinary inventory and produced a large, creamy plate of lox, eggs and onions, LEO in local diner parlance. I recognize that the lox might as well be a sirloin steak to a committed vegetarian, but I stand with Epicurus (341 BCE-270 BCE), “Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.”


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Saturday, September 21, 2024

Pretty In Pink?

Saturday, September 14, 2024 
Boar's Head, formally the Frank Brunckhorst Co., has closed its Virginia plant that is the source of the listeria outbreak that has killed nine people so far. The company has interested me for a long time. In 1995, it claimed trademark infringement and got an injunction against an unaffiliated beer company that produced Weinhard’s Boar’s Head Red. Frank Brunckhorst Co. v. G. Heileman Brewing Co. (875 F. Supp. 966). By the way, trademark law was maybe my favorite subject in law school, because it’s all in the eyes of the beholder.

The decision is legally correct. The average consumer could easily believe that the beer came from the cold cuts company, that confusion the basis for infringement. What got me, however, was naming anything “Boar’s Head” in the first place. Maybe I’m a squeamish city boy, but how can you not think of “Lord of the Flies” when you hear Boar’s Head? The image is hardly an appetite stimulant.
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I don’t expect everyone to have a clear perspective on American politics. I grant that there are semi-sane reasons to vote for Donald Trump, primarily based on deficiencies in the opposition. The New York Times quotes a Trump voter in Arizona with a more personal point of view: “His family is stalwart; they’re amazing, I think that tells a lot about him as a person.” She failed to specify, however, whether she had Trump’s first, second or third family in mind.
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Here’s a daily double. The U.S. was named the top country for tourism in 2024 (https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_and_Tourism_Development_Index_2024.pdf)
and Central Park, two crosstown blocks from where I am perched, has been voted the top tourist destination in the country. 

Be sure to wave when you pass by.

If we want to go for the trifecta, Una Pizza Napoletana, 150 Orchard Street, has been named the best pizza in the world for the second time in three years.
My first visit is forthcoming.

Sunday, September 15, 2024
This is great stuff. More numbers than you’ll probably know what to do with. Enough to keep you up late going back and forth. The Washington Post analyzed publicly available voting registration data from around the country. What first and last names align with which political party. I know that the URL is enormous and that you may need to copy it into your browser, but you will be so glad that you did.

There’s a place where you can search party affiliation by first or last name, assuming there is a critical mass. Alans, a little bit Republican; not enough Gotthelfs. Redemption from Goldenberg, my mother’s family name, decidedly Democrat.
.  .  .

Meryl, what were you thinking?

Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Anne Frank famously wrote: “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Not only did her own fate belie this, everyday myriad contrary examples arise. 

“Seeking social media stardom for their underage daughters, mothers post images of them on Instagram. The accounts draw men sexually attracted to children, and they sometimes pay to see more.”

It may be a gross generalization, but liberals usually care about fairness. I’ll let the other guys speak for themselves. This concern doesn’t always have satisfying results. Here’s my story.

About 42 years ago, I was employed at a major international accounting and consulting firm as a consultant on computer systems design and utilization. A request for proposal came in from the Hong Kong municipal administration, then still answering to the British government. It wanted a comprehensive review of its computer systems usage and recommendations for improvement.

I was assigned to the proposal writing team, focusing on the needed human resources. Of course, bottom line was an important consideration with our hefty billing rates. We were gathering staff from several offices, all destined to spend weeks or more in Hong Kong. By the way, for some reason we had the inside track and I was giddy with the prospect of luxuriating in a ritzy Hong Kong hotel, something that actually took 30 more years to achieve.

I played around with different staffing arrangements, aiming for a palatable cost estimate. For one iteration, I excluded myself to demonstrate how “fair” I was. Sure enough, that’s the one that sold, my selfless integrity intact (you stupid jerk). There was some slight consolation when I learned that the guy to whom I transferred most of my prospective tasks was robbed immediately upon leaving the Hong Kong airport.

Wednesday, September 18, 2024
I’m opinionated, without doubt. However, my restaurant reporting is more positive than negative. Am I so easily pleased? Hardly. I often simply keep the bad experiences to myself.

We went to dinner tonight with Barbara and Bernie, cousins of cousins, at Jupiter, 20 West 50th Street, actually the sunken plaza at Rockefeller Center where the skating rink is. A favorable mention in the New York Times and the attractive setting brought us there and maybe I should stop there, but those are the reasons that I have to unload.

The iconic setting of Jupiter should attract the Holy Lander along with the tourists. The Italian menu is relatively familiar, simple and somewhat expensive, but not punishingly so, although the portions did not follow the elevated prices. Our problems (maybe their problems) fell into two areas, the menu itself and the service.

The menu lists four Italian white wines by the glass and by the bottle, but Soave and Pinot Grigio, the most familiar varieties, were not available. Similarly, they ran out of focaccia, at $8 an order. Mind you, we were in the middle of Manhattan, not Manhattan, Kansas, in the middle of the week, not at the end of a busy holiday weekend.

Service had its own gaps. Salt and pepper only after requested; requested grated cheese never appearing. Long intervals for our food, but attempts to serve us what was ordered at other tables. When the manager came over to commiserate with us, he offered to remember us next time without slashing a penny off tonight’s check.

Friday, September 20, 2024
The Upper West Side's Power Couple drive off into the sunset to visit the second and third generations for the weekend. Actually, we headed east to Massachusetts where the Sun rises, a less poetic destination.
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Former President Donald J. Trump, speaking on Thursday at a campaign event in Washington, said that “if I don’t win this election,” then “the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss.”

On behalf of the Jewish people, I will say “You’re welcome.”

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