No, That Way!

Saturday, March 28, 2026

I confess that I really like the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors and have seen each of them multiple times. That sets the stage, so to speak, for my enjoyment of Bigfoot!, a new musical, much of it the work of comedian Amber Ruffin. If you are pained by reading the front section of the New York Times, go see what it called the “show with ecstatically silly punchlines and physical gags.” 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/theater/bigfoot-review-amber-ruffin.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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If Muddirt, Bigfoot’s hometown, doesn’t appeal to you, you can choose among America’s healthiest cities and avoid the unhealthiest. That would allegedly be San Francisco, Honolulu and Seattle on one end and Shreveport, Louisiana, Gulfport, Mississippi, and Brownsville, Texas on the other.

https://share.google/Wddnmac5EjkmDI7Hc

Sunday, March 29, 2026

It’s no secret that I go out to eat a lot. It’s not that our larder is bare or that America’s Favorite Epidemiologist is unable to serve a first-class meal. From boyhood, I liked the commotion in a restaurant and the foods that I was unlikely to get in a traditional Jewish household. This survey looks at the cost of dining in the larger American cities.

https://www.foodandwine.com/most-least-expensive-dining-cities-11935521

While not perfectly identical, the expensive cities are often the healthiest, as identified above.

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When I read these two sentences below my jaw dropped. They capture our national character in a brief, brilliant fashion.

America does not know how to exist in a world it does not control. Since its inception, America has assured itself it was simply too big, too far away and too richly endowed to suffer any serious consequences for its actions.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/opinion/trump-america-iran-war.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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Barbara and Bernie, cousins of cousins, joined us for dinner at Miriam’s, 973 Lexington Avenue, its third site. They had just come in from their home in Palm Desert, California, where it was 102°. We offered a cool alternative.

The restaurant is narrow, just one storefront wide. We sat toward the front, opposite a full bar. The menu is Mediterranean with an Israeli tinge. We shared two appetizers, spanakopita, spinach pie presented in a spiral rather than the traditional wedge or rectangular shape ($17.50); and pistachio-crusted goat cheese crostini with toasted za'atar pita, Fresno chili, fire-roasted peppers, truffle oil, honey vinaigrette, absolutely delicious ($14.50). Bernie had a large piece of chicken schnitzel with mashed potatoes ($27.50) while I had three Middle Eastern pomegranate meatballs with mashed potatoes ($27.50). The women shared pistachio pesto pasta, leaving enough for me too ($23.50).

We also shared two desserts, burnt cheesecake with white wine-braised grapes ($13) and Bambousa, semolina cake with orange syrup, whipped cream and a chocolate disc ($13). It might go without saying, but a good time was had by all.

Monday, March 30, 2026

I had a new doctor today who thought that I was peachy keen.

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Sacre bleu! 

“Air Canada CEO to step down after backlash over his English-only crash message."

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The New York Times reports on a number of instances where senior Democratic elected officials are being challenged by young opponents, claiming a need for fresh blood. However, from my superannuated perch, I cannot help but point to the value of tested experience in these difficult times.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

The Upper West Side’s Power Couple took to the highway to Eastern Massachusetts having heard that Natick, Massachusetts is a good jumping off point for the Sinai Desert. We arrived in time to enjoy Irit’s fabulous pre-Passover chocolate-peanut butter mousse pie and wish David Happy Birthday.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

America’s Loveliest Nephrologist arrived in the early morning hours and rested enough to join us for a late breakfast at J&M Diner, 50 Worcester Road, Framingham, an institution that really gets breakfast right. I had the best waffle that I ever had, with soft scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and Vermont maple syrup ($15). I drank a tall glass of cold brew iced coffee ($5.25). The young doctor had an egg, cheese and tomato sandwich on a toasted English muffin with a side salad in a lemon white balsamic vinaigrette dressing ($12) while Big Mama had a vegetable Benedict, two poached eggs over spinach on an English muffin with a side fruit cup ($15.50). 

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Tonight, we took our first steps towards the Promised Land fleeing slavery and oppression, under David's learned direction.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

A federal judge has ruled that the University of Pennsylvania must comply with the Trump administration’s order to provide the government with a list of its Jewish employees. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/judge-orders-upenn-provide-list-jewish-employees-sought-by-eeoc-rcna266103

The honorable response is to provide a list of all university employees. “I am Spartacus!”

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Meanwhile, Syracuse University is closing or pausing 93 of its 460 academic programs in order to create a university that would be “more focused, more distinctive and more aligned with student demand.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/nyregion/syracuse-university-degrees-eliminated.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

A popular new offering is Beer 101.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Two numbers are important part of the Exodus story, the original, not the Leon Uris version. The Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians for 400 years until Charlton Heston led them to freedom. However, it took 40 years wandering in the desert before they reached the Promised Land, actually few of the actual escapees living to see it. 

I am skeptical about these measurements of time. While calendars date from 3000 BCE or so (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_calendars), and the Exodus is estimated around 1350 BCE, the ordinary Joe would have trouble if someone asked him for the correct date. What could he have carried around and where would he carry it to answer the question out on the agora?

So, I think the 400 supposed years of bondage really meant just a long time. As to the 40-year trek, biblical scholars and modern geographers agree that spending 40 years in Sinai could only result from going around in circles. Not all of us have a good sense of direction. Thinking of couples I know, I think this is where opposites attract. If the Israelites indeed spent 40 years in the desert, I am certain that half the time they stood around bickering.

Back To The Future

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Encores! puts on short term revivals of old (oldish) musicals. Tonight, we saw The Wild Party, a relatively recent show with an interesting back story. It was originally a raunchy poem written in 1928. Only in 2000, when its copyright expired, did it get produced on stage. In fact, two distinct productions appeared, one on Broadway, one off-Broadway. It was the Broadway version that was revived this weekend. Debauchery was the first word I spoke upon leaving the theater, not in disappointment. The New York Times review used the same word in its subheadline. This hedonistic tale of Jazz Age vaudeville performers after hours encompassed a broad array of couplings and uncouplings performed by a very talented cast. The work runs two hours without intermission and is almost entirely sung-through like an opera, demanding a lot from actors and musicians. The rawness is easy to dislike. My reaction, however, was appreciation if not admiration. 

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To a degree, the women at The Wild Party back then held their own, but that is hardly the norm today. This survey looks at 25 key indicators of women’s living standards across the country and ranks the results. Massachusetts, District of Columbia and Maine come out on top, while Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana are at the bottom.  https://share.google/Ix07hBI2uojCsVMHt

Sunday, March 22, 2026

To celebrate my brother's return home in the company of his older grandson, we all had lunch at Deccan Spice, 153 Wood Avenue, Edison, New Jersey, a large, well-furnished restaurant in the midst of a thriving Indian American enclave in Central New Jersey. In looking for a convenient spot, I simply chose a well-reputed joint unaware of the local demographics. Edison is considered the crossroads of Indian life in the United States. There are countless restaurants and almost as many jewelry stores catering to the South Asian population. This PBS documentary offers a good picture of the area and implicitly boosts a liberal immigration policy.  https://www.pbs.org/video/destination-oak-tree-road-emomr4/

Deccan Spice itself is enough reason to keep the golden door open, the kitchen door at least. Today seemed to be a holiday or celebrated like one. Deccan Spice had a Special Ugadi Thali Unlimited meal, served on a two-foot long banana leaf, consisting of 21 items for $40, including Gongura Mamasam, mutton curry; Royala Vepudu, stir-fried prawns; Bendakaya Pulusu, okra stewed in tamarind sauce; Korameenu Tawa Fry, fried fish. A vegetarian version is also available. Attentive servers provided seconds and thirds.

The two guys went for the whole enchilada, although that might been the only thing not laid out on the banana leaf. If I feared too much food on the Special, the two dishes from the regular menu that I ordered were more than I could finish. I had four chicken lollipops, the meat of big wings bunched at the top, seasoned and broiled, a lot to eat ($24). Then, I had lamb Rogan Josh, curried meat cooked with alkanet flower, a herbaceous flowering plant, and Kashmiri chiles ($33). Most of the Rogan Josh went home with my brother and his grandson. Madam had Navaratan Korma, "nine gem curry," nine different vegetables, fruits and nuts cooked in a sweet gravy ($20). She made all gone.

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In case all this food arouses the need to exercise, you can get a pair of LOEWE Cloudsolo sneakers for a mere $750.

https://www.on.com/en-us/products/cloudsolo-m-3mf3066/mens/dark-brown-black-shoes-3MF30664611

Monday, March 23, 2026

New York State has a Board of Regents governing public education including a set of Regents examinations for high school students in all the major subject areas. Graduation with a Regents diploma instead of a General diploma required passage of the Regents exams. That is changing. Starting in the 2027-28 school year, students will be evaluated based on a new framework from the state called the Portrait of a Graduate, including six key qualities which high schoolers should master to earn a diploma. They should be able to demonstrate they are academically prepared, creative innovators, critical thinkers, effective communicators, global citizens, and “reflective and future focused.” Aside from the suspicion that this is a dumbing down of the e ducation process, the obvious question arises of how to measure such ephemeral qualities as being creative innovators, global citizens and future focused.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Board of Education restored eighth-grade algebra 12 years after removing it assertedly to benefit students from disadvantaged backgrounds who were ill-prepared for it.  San Francisco Reinstates 8th-Grade Algebra After 'Equity' Experiment Fails

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Eataly, 1122 Lexington Avenue, is the latest in this international chain of Italian food stores. It offers gelato, chocolates, pastries, sandwiches and a variety of groceries. I stopped in to have Arrosto di Tacchino, roasted turkey breast, gem lettuce, Callipo brand red onion jam, and aioli on a crispy, narrow baguette ($14.90). Although I could have handled another inch or two of sandwich, I resisted all the sweet treats, this time at least.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Pointing to the hypocrisy of this administration seems to be an endless and fruitless exercise, but I am into endless and fruitless exercises. “Trump, Who Calls Mail-in Voting ‘Cheating,’ Just Voted by Mail”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/politics/trump-mail-in-voting-florida.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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Speaking of endless and fruitless, Madam and I went downtown to a free preview of a new movie, Fantasy Life. With an unrealistic (inconceivable?) premise, hiring an anxiety-prone, unemployed, male, law school dropout as nanny (Manny) for the three young granddaughters of his psychiatrist, the movie never takes off.

Afterwards, we ate at Arturo’s, 106 West Houston Street, an old-line restaurant and pizzeria with wooden booths, a tin ceiling, a coal-burning oven and live jazz. We shared a small mushroom pizza ($26). 

Of course, I hesitated at “small,” but the 13”, eight-slice pie proved more than satisfactory right through lunch the next day.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Tonight, Tom Terrific and I went to Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, 47-49 East 65th Street, to hear Heather Ann Thompson discuss her new book Fear and Fury: Bernie Goetz, the Reagan ‘80s, and the Rebirth of White Rage. Anyone in the metropolitan area at the time and many others beyond know the story of the white man and the four Black teenagers on the subway that he shot. Goetz, hailed as a hero by some and a villain by others, was convicted only on a weapons charge and spent eight months in jail. Rudolph Giuliani, Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch all play a role in the story which is enough to make it unpleasant.

Friday, March 27, 2026

Even with my pupils dilated after treatment by Dr. Englebert, don’t ask, I found my way to Koba Korean BBQ, 918 Third Avenue. It's a small attractive joint decorated with large Korean murals, holding six two-tops and two ledges seating eight. I had a big bowl of japchae, stir-fried sweet potato glass noodles with bulgogi (shaved, marinated) beef, scallions, egg strips, carrots and mushrooms ($20). I was able to feel my way back to the bus stop and home.

Hospitality

Saturday, March 14, 2016

We paid a visit to my brother at the JFK University Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He is spending a short amount of time there. While there, I inquired whether they plan to add Trump’s name to the facility. As of now, not.

Since we were in the vicinity, madam and I had lunch at Seasons 52, 217 Lafayette Avenue, Edison, New Jersey. It’s a fine example of a suburban restaurant, large tables well separated, ample parking, perky service and consistently good food. My young bride had the tuna crunch salad, seared ahi tuna on crisp greens, crunchy almonds, fresh mango, and crunchy wonton strips, tossed in a zesty sesame-ginger dressing, pronouncing it probably the best salad she has ever had ($22). I had the crab cake sandwich with a delicious side salad ($18). The server refilled my Coke Zero without being asked.

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If the threat of a nuclear Iran keeps you up at night, consider this:

Sunday, March 15, 2026

This afternoon, with seemingly every Jewish grandparent in the Tristate area, we went to Lincoln Center to hear the annual concert of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir. Unfortunately, the 100-person Israeli contingent could not leave their country, but the organizers effectively worked around their absence. The music is primarily modern, non-liturgical Hebrew. #1 grandson, a Teen Leader of the group, introduced one of the numbers, an additional source of pride for us. Before the concert, other family members were treated to bagels and lox at Palazzo di Gotthelf.

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Tim Wu, Columbia University law professor, makes the interesting argument social media appears to be “a defective, hazardous product” and should be treated that way at law.  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/opinion/social-media-trial-addiction.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Monday, March 16, 2026

Stony Brook Steve and I had lunch at the Fairway Cafe, 2131 Broadway, which allowed us to shop at the market below after we finished eating. It is rebuilding its restaurant business after the long Covid shutdown with good food at reasonable prices. I had a very large bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a (Kaiser) roll, probably containing three scrambled eggs ($10). Notable were the home fried potatoes, usually dry and tough after sitting on the grill for a week. These were plump, freshly cooked, lightly dusted with paprika and salt, very tasty.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Boy, was I wrong. I gave myself 30 minutes to get from West 79th Street and Amsterdam Avenue (the equivalent of Tenth Avenue) to East 79th Street and Second Avenue for my physical therapy appointment, twice as much as usual because of the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Well, an hour and a half later, I had reached Fifth Avenue and East 86th Street, where I accepted defeat and returned home. 

Wednesday, March 18,2026

Michael Ratner and I had lunch at Peng’s Noodle Folk, 1016 Lexington Avenue, a joint previously unknown to us. The attractive non-ethnic decor was predominantly wood and terra cotta. The 60 or so seats at eleven tables were occupied most of the time and we will certainly return to them in the future. It's a good option in a neighborhood sorely lacking in them. I had Soy Sauce Beef Stew Noodle, a big bowl of hot soup loaded with noodles, beef, kale, corn kernels, scallion, red radish and green soybeans ($22.75). Michael had essentially the same dish in a dry version ($21.75). 

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While Peng's offers more than noodles, I limited my intake, because of dinner plans. My young bride and I were joining Elaine and Caring Ken Klein to celebrate Ken's birthday at Kebab aur Sharab, 247 West 72nd Street, an Indian restaurant which translates dubiously as "kebobs and alcohol." We have eaten there before and it has received a favorable mention in the Michelin guide. It was packed soon after we arrived. With all that, I was disappointed in the food, certainly not the company. Although many of their dishes stray from the conventional, their overriding characteristics seems to be overpricing and flavors better on paper than on the plate.

We shared two appetizers, Aloo Tiki Chat, crispy patties with chickpeas, mint and tamarind chutney ($19), and Unlce Chips Aloo Chat, crisp potatoes, clarified butter, tamarind, Sev (crunchy noodles) and chutney ($18). My three companions shared two vegetarian dishes; I had butter chicken, cooked in tomato and cashew curry with a swirl of cream ($30). 

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Fordham University, a Jesuit institution, has a strong Jewish studies program, directed by Magda Teter, an outstanding scholar. Tonight, they presented Anita Norich, Professor Emerita of Judaic Studies at University of Michigan, giving an engaging talk on “Yiddish Disputes” in and about the language. She also happens to be the sister of our friend Sam Norich, former director at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and retired editor-in-chief at The Forward. Professor Norich made the interesting observation that Hebrew, because of its historic roots, is considered patriarchal while Yiddish, associated with the street and the home, is considered feminine.

Friday, March 20,2026

Although I am gainfully retired, I occasionally receive job offers. One just came by e-mail that intrigued me, obviously a good fit, because of how personally it was addressed: ge8pw9en7ns4bg5@icloud.net.

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Still happy?

Is It Too Much To Ask?

Saturday, March 7, 2026

I just received notice that the CCNY Alumni Association is sponsoring a trip to Morocco in October. That permits me to revive my story about Morocco in 2019, actually about leaving Morocco, actually about my luggage leaving Morocco. We departed from Casablanca on a flight codeshared by Air France and Delta, changing planes in Paris.

We arrived in JFK safe and sound except for my big, olive green bag. I reported it missing at the airport and then daily on phone calls to Air France and Delta. Each day for two weeks, I was promised that my bag sitting in Paris would be on the next flight to New York. Meanwhile, I provided an inventory of its contents to the best of my recollection. Although I asked for nothing more than the return of my belongings — a pair of shoes, dirty laundry, a sweatshirt — I was promptly sent a check for $600. 

Then, after two weeks, I got a text message from a Delta employee at the Punta Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic. She was staring at my bag which had been sitting there for days. On her own initiative, she contacted me from the detailed information on my luggage tag. Casablanca-Paris-Punta Cana. The bag got to New York the next day. The laundry was intact, the shoes and some miscellaneous items missing. 

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I looked up "tutting" after reading it in a newspaper article about dancing. It's a dance style modeled after the angular moves associated with ancient Egyptians like Steve Martin. That made sort of sense, although I first thought of "tut, tut" as a warning . . . 

[Hold on, I just jumped up to answer the phone. It was my daily call from Justin Romano about my non-existent business loan application for $156,000. Justin has replaced a sweet-sounding lady with the same message who had been trying to contact me for weeks. Justin and the lady also had in common a sort of teletransporting; each telephone call came from a different location, such as Hollywood, Florida, Summer Shade, Kentucky and Halethorpe, Maryland. Even when the originating point changed, eerily the amount that I wasn't asking for remained the same. I think that I should change my voicemail greeting: "I'm not in. Just send me the $156,000."] As I was saying, "a warning about bad behavior."

Sunday, March 8, 2026

I pass Bareburger, 2233 Broadway, once a week or more. Outside is a sign promoting its “14-hour smoked pastrami”. So, I’m wondering, how special is that? The more hours the better? How many hours would be too many hours? How am I supposed to know? Is there a secret number Jews are supposed to know?

Monday, March 9, 2026

As I have gotten older, I know more about some things and less about others. Here are a couple of items that challenge me. A male author who is about to publish a Judy Blume biography was told by a female friend “Mark, I love you, but that has to be written by a woman.” 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/books/review/judy-blume-biography-mark-oppenheimer.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Also, a bride-to-be “who is currently planning a wedding in Italy for next year, posted a video on Instagram in which she described in detail her strict requirements for her bridesmaids, including, in addition to wearing the typical matching dresses and hairstyles, adhering to a pre-wedding diet and not being pregnant.” 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/style/wedding-planning-bridesmaid-hair-rules.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

“[T]he Trump administration has started to loosen restrictions on Russian oil exports in a bid to temper rising gas prices.” 

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03/10/world/iran-war-trump-us-israel?smid=nytcore-ios-share

So, Iranians are dying, Israelis are dying, Americans are dying, Lebanese are dying and Russia benefits.

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There was a ray of sunshine tonight, actually several. Sam Fuchs, Navy veteran, joined me at Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers play hockey. We had passes to the Chase Lounge, free food and drinks from a cornerstone of capitalism. The menu tonight was potato salad, sliced brisket sliders, baked mac and cheese and BBQ Brushed Bacon Cheddar Bratwurst with Frizzled Onions. Portions are small, but returns to the buffet are unlimited as is the Diet Pepsi. Best of all, 4-0 Rangers.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

I went to midtown to make a deposit in my periodontist’s grandchildren’s trust fund. It gave rise to three serendipitous encounters. I stopped for lunch at a Halal cart on Pershing Square for a platter of chicken and mystery meat over rice with salad and a 20 oz. bottle of Coke Zero ($15). I am an equal opportunity eater, after all.

The man serving up the food told me that, until he came from Egypt to America one year ago, he had never seen snow. He still finds it intimidating (Serendipity 1). I sat at a table outdoors and got into conversation with Harrison, a techie working for Bloomberg the company, not the man. He, Harrison not Bloomberg, comes from Seattle and got an engineering degree from USC. He so impressed me that I thought he was from Brooklyn, went to Stuyvesant and CCNY (Serendipity 2). 

On the Madison Avenue bus, I met the lovely and charming Pearl S., whom I haven’t seen for years. I was so excited that I got off at the wrong stop (Serendipity 3). 

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Madam Honey Darling and I went to the theater tonight to see a preview performance of Death of a Salesman, starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalfe. They both gave excellent performances to a full and enthusiastic audience. Biff and Happy, the two Loman sons, I had a problem with. I’m not sure if I was dissatisfied with the writing, the casting or the performances. In any case, they fell short.

Friday, March 13, 2026

A great big Thank You to Mossad Moshe for bringing our household into the 21st century.

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The Upper West Side’s Power Couple wishes Oakland’s Power Couple Happy Tenth Anniversary.

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Hit the road, Jack?

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In conclusion:

War, What Is It Good For?

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Where to begin? Bombing Iran to destroy what the president insisted we previously obliterated? It sickens me to say it, but Israel has become a bad place. The Trump-Netanyahu alliance is truly an axis of evil. While the preemptive attack on Iran may lead to regime change there, what will it take to have regime change in Israel? Our midterm elections in November will only throw some sand in the gears of authoritarianism, at best.

The Iranian government has apparently been killing its citizens promiscuously. “Eyewitnesses say government forces have begun opening fire, apparently with automatic weapons and at times seemingly indiscriminately, on unarmed protesters.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/world/middleeast/iran-protester-deaths.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Trump and Netanyahu, however, thought that the killings were not going fast enough, so they put on their warmonger pants. Frustrated by being denied the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump warned that U.S. strikes “will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5760879-operation-epic-fury-iran/amp/

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We ended this difficult day with an evening of peace and friendship, Havdalah services at the home of Rachel S., marking the end of the Sabbath. All five senses are engaged in Havdalah with the use of a cup of wine, a candle and a container of aromatic spices — feel the cup, smell the spices, see the flame of the candle, hear the blessings and taste the wine. 

 

Sunday, Match 1, 2026

For some people, domestic peace is as remote as international peace. “Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have issued a draconian decree that . . . allows men to beat their wives so long as they don’t break bones or leave visible, lasting wounds.” https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/01/asia/taliban-afghanistan-domestic-violence-legal?cid=ios_app

If anything, moral relativism has met its boundaries.

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Changing its name from Facebook to Meta cost millions of dollars, including paying a bank to drop Meta from its name. https://hypebeast.com/2021/12/facebook-owner-meta-name-rights-60-million-usd-acquisition

However, those clever devils paid for it many times over by moving profits from countries like the United States, Japan, France and Germany to Dublin, Ireland. From there, they moved profits to an additional subsidiary that, for tax purposes, claimed to be managed in the Cayman Islands, which has no corporate income tax. The savings — $15 billion. That’s right, with a B.    https://www.nytimes.com/video/business/100000010723457/why-the-irs-wants-15-billion-from-meta.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

 

Monday, March 2, 2026

In the great American tradition of kicking a man when he is down: “Tens of thousands of Americans are losing access to treatment for H.I.V. as nearly 20 states impose restrictions on assistance programs and several others weigh such changes.”  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/health/hiv-drugs-ryan-white.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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Gentleman Jerry and I had lunch at Shanghai Dumplings Fusion, 158 West 72nd Street, a place that I found only satisfactory in the past. Today, the tide shifted, permanently I hope. Everything we ordered was very good. We had chicken soup dumplings ($11.95 for 5); scallion pancake with beef, really good ($9.95); Shanghai Combination Stir-fried Noodles, lo mein in a thick brown sauce ($16.95). With a couple of Diet Cokes, we unintentionally exceeded $39.95 and got a plate of just ordinary orange chicken as a bonus.

 

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Absolute Bagels, 2788 Broadway, between West 107 & West 108 Streets, usually was at the top of the best bagels list. However, they were closed down once their secret ingredient was discovered — vermin. The business changed hands and was renamed New Absolute Bagels. The old owner objected and now it is simply 2788 Bagels.

 

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

This illustration speaks for itself, but its collateral message is trouble for Democratic presidential candidates with the growth of Texas and Florida and the decline of New York and California.

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In case we had a little time on our hands. “U.S. Opens Military Action in Ecuador Against ‘Terrorist Organizations’” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/us/politics/us-ecuador-trump-military-operations.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

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In print, the headline reads: “Initiating War Is a Risk to the Legacy of President Trump” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/politics/iran-trump-polls-republicans.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

 It definitely evoked a chuckle. Legacy? What legacy? Winner of a secondhand Nobel Peace Prize? Convicted felon? Serial bankrupter? Draft dodger? Twice impeached? Sexual predator? 

 

Thursday, March 5, 2026

It was a simple choice: Two friends vs. One wife. Stony Brook Steve, Terrific Tom and I planned to have lunch today. However, with the rain unceasing, I could not abide my young bride schlepping up to the Bronx on the subway. I had to rev up the Gottmobile to shelter her from the storm. Sorry fellas.

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Is a bánh mizza an Indochinese rite of passage ceremony for adolescent boys? No, it is a cross between a pizza and a bánh mi, the traditional Vietnamese hero sandwich. Completely unknown to me until today (reading about it, not eating it), it actually has been around for at least 11 years. https://youtu.be/xC4LxvxahUI

 

Friday, March 5, 2026  

Eleanor the Great (2025) is a movie about a woman who gains renown when she co-opts the Holocaust memories of a deceased friend. This fiction about a fiction is being approximated in real life in court at present. A wealthy and well-connected woman published a memoir about being sexually abused as a schoolgirl. The alleged abuser, whose identity was discernible, is not the one charging the author for invasion of privacy. Rather, a classmate of the author claims the events described in the best-selling (ghost-written) work actually occurred to her not the author. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/nyregion/amy-griffin-the-tell-lawsuit.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share 

Assuming the truth of the plaintiff’s claim, the hijacking of events, was this a crime or a tort (civil wrong) or a wrong without a remedy? I hope that Irwin, Nicky, Ronnie or other legal eagles offer a judgment. Meanwhile, my opinion is that the harm, if any, was to the publisher and the public who were literally sold a false bill of goods.

 

 

Dress For Success

Saturday, February 21, 2026

The estimated population of Norway is 5.7 million people. That’s larger than Brooklyn and Queens put together. It has won 40 medals at the Winter Olympics so far. It must be the water.

.  .  .

We went to Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, for a solo performance by Mandy Patinkin. It was a full house and, while it was not compulsory, synagogue membership seemed desirable.

Patinkin is 73-years old, still quite nimble, but his voice shows signs of his age. The program was diverse, with some unexpected numbers (Bohemian Rhapsody!). Personally, I would have preferred more music associated with his career-defining roles in Evita and Sunday in the Park With George. For an encore, he sang Over the Rainbow in Yiddish (Iber dem regnboygn), a particular delight for me.

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Another view:

2026 Winter Olympic medals adjusted for population 

Norway	3.3	2.2	2	7.5
Switzerland	0.7	1	0.9	2.6
Austria	0.5	0.9	0.5	2
Slovenia	1	0.5	0.5	1.9
Sweden	0.8	0.6	0.4	1.7
Finland	0	0.2	1.1	1.2
Netherlands	0.6	0.4	0.2	1.1
Latvia	0	0.6	0.6	1.1

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Our plans to have lunch in New Jersey with my brother and my niece were voided by the snowstorm. We were able, however, to make a shopping run to Trader Joe’s late morning with my fit and conditioned wife doing the heavy lifting.

Monday, February 23, 2026

The snow (19.7” in Central Park) has really shut things down. From our perch high above Amsterdam Avenue, we see very little vehicular traffic and the rare brave pedestrian.

My telemedicine appointment with Michael Perskin, Master Diagnostician, was canceled and the computer shopping trip with Mossad Moshe had to be postponed. I canceled tomorrow’s physical therapy session, assuming that getting to the bus stop would be exercise enough.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Richard Baker, pictured here, merged Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman into a luxury department store group 13 months ago. Now, it is in bankruptcy. I'm not sure when this photograph was taken, but it certainly gives me pause. 

 

 

Although fully dressed, and probably expensively so, he is not wearing socks. All we see is his bony ankles. This is not a good look. At this moment, I am not wearing socks, but I have low end Birkenstocks on my feet. I am not poised to run a major commercial enterprise. If I planned to return to the business world in any capacity, I would put on socks. 

.  .  .

I had my telemedicine appointment this afternoon and the doctor looked fine.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

A dream woke me up at 6 AM. I was being mocked for a business deal that I made in 1979. As it happens, it was one of the rare successes that my little computer company had in its brief lifespan. Once awake, I thought about how ineffective I was in building on that success and, now, a flood of ideas came on how to do the right thing. In 2026, I finally figured out how to succeed in business in 1979.

.  .  .

After the big snowfall, some things are easy and some hard. Hard was cleaning my car, parked outside. I did about 15% of the job before quitting in exhaustion. I don’t need it until tomorrow, so maybe a heat wave will come to my rescue.

Easy was walking with Stony Brook Steve to the Fairway Cafe, 2131 Broadway, for lunch. Sidewalks were clear, intersections passable, temperature tolerable. I had a grilled chicken sandwich on sourdough bread with Vermont cheddar cheese, arugula and aioli ($17). A generous portion of good French fries accompanied the sandwich. 

.  .  .

In the evening, the good company of America’s Favorite Epidemiologist saved me from exposure to 108 minutes of presidential decadence.

Thursday, February 26, 2026

It’s not an original observation but brilliant that the Winter Olympics were created by knee surgeons who want boats.

.  .  .

If you like numbers, you’ll love this study of employment and earnings by college major done by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:explore:outcomes-by-major

Engineers fared well along with finance and economics majors. On the other hand, the rewards for education majors are less likely material.