Saturday, April 26, 2025

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Saturday, April 19, 2025
Today is the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing when a white Christian nationalist manufactured and detonated a bomb in front of a federal office building. It killed 167 people, including 19 children in a daycare center and injured 684 other people. A former U.S. Army sergeant was convicted and executed for this atrocity.

Maybe I am a sentimental slob, but I am surprised that the Republican presidential candidate has won the majority of votes in all 77 counties in Oklahoma in each of the six presidential elections since 2004. Were the politics of the tragedy too subtle to be recognized by the local population, if not in more remote parts of the state, but at least in and around Oklahoma City?

Sunday, April 20, 2025
“How Wealth Reduces Compassion.” Does the title of this article from the Scientific American surprise you? “It’s tempting to think that the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to act fairly. After all, if you already have enough for yourself, it’s easier to think about what others may need. But research suggests the opposite is true: as people climb the social ladder, their compassionate feelings towards other people decline.” 
.  .  .

One group of Americans who are deserving of compassion are the many who are rent burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing, forcing harsh economic choices on them. Government programs to assist them have not kept up. Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8 vouchers) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development provide rental assistance to low-income renters. However, there are 17 million more severely cost-burdened renter households than available vouchers.   https://www.zillow.com/research/housing-choice-vouchers-4-35059/

Is there any reason to believe that the budgetary slash and burn going on in Washington will result in improved support for ordinary Americans?
.  .  .

I was trying to reach #2 grandson Noam this afternoon to see how things were going in the 8th grade, but I couldn’t interrupt the conference call he was on with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025
The front page of today’s New York Times has two headlines side by side that illustrate the craziness of our national leadership. “E.P.A. Poised to Cancel Grants To Study Dangers to Children” and “Would $5,000 Bonuses Spur New Baby Boom?” This reminds me of the observation by former Congressman Barney Frank that our conservative politicians believe that life begins at conception and ends at birth.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Spring is finally here in the Holy Land and lunch in Chinatown is an appropriate way to celebrate. Seven of us met at 456 Shanghai Cuisine, 69 Mott Street, where we indulged in soup dumplings ($8.75), steamed vegetable dumplings ($8.50), scallion pancake with egg and beef ($10.95), cold noodles with sesame sauce ($7.50), orange flavored chicken ($19.95), spicy shredded beef ($20.95), “Walnut with Jumbo Shrimp” (really the other way around) ($25.95), vegetable chow fun ($12.95), Rice Noodle Singapore Style ($13.95). It wasn’t easy, but we got to the Clean Plate Club. P.S. Mark was not an hour late. He was only 58 minutes late.
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Hebrew days begin at sunset, not at sunrise. Yom haShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, began this evening. Among the many local events on this occasion, we chose a film screening at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, 30 West 68th Street. “J’Accuse!” is a documentary about Lithuania, where 95% of their Jews, 220,000 people, were murdered, as often by local forces as by the Nazis. 

Today, the Lithuanian government honors Holocaust perpetrators with monuments and schools while the fate of the Jews is barely acknowledged.

A significant part of the film is devoted to Sylvia Foti, a Chicago Catholic woman of Lithuanian heritage, who wrote “Storm in the Land of Rain: A Mother’s Dying Wish Becomes Her Daughter’s Nightmare,” where she uncovers her grandfather’s past as a mass murderer of Jews. The experience was sobering for her and the audience, as well.

Thursday, April 24, 2025
I don’t know what cuisine Wolfnights - The Gourmet Wrap, 489 Third Avenue, represents, or what the name means, but it comes up with some unusual combinations. For lunch, I had the Carnivores Delight, grilled steak wrapped in date & pumpkin seed dough with fried egg, sumac onions, pickles, mustard horseradish sauce ($14.99). It doesn’t just sound like a lot, it was a lot, a big handful of food.

The joint only has one 12” deep stainless steel ledge with four stools and a swing hung from the ceiling for seating, my choice. The rest of the modest space was used for food preparation and the generous use of stainless steel made it look like a test kitchen.

Friday, April 25, 2025
While walking to the hardware store this afternoon, I received an airmail delivery from the bluebird of happiness or at least a close relative. To some, this connotes good luck; to me, it means a dry cleaning bill.
 .  .  .
 
Acadia Healthcare, one of the country’s largest providers of mental health services, is under federal investigation for ill-treating patients. Since the charges became public last year, the company’s market value has fallen from $7 billion to $2 billion. Nevertheless, its CEO has just been awarded a bonus of $1.8 million to help respond to “unprecedented governmental inquiries.” 



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Saturday, April 19, 2025

Mr. Rubio Meet Mr. Trump

Saturday, April 12, 2025
We woke up to winter, snow on the ground and 33° temperature here outside of Boston when we had anticipated decades in the desert.

America’s Loveliest Nephrologist and the Oakland Heartthrob flew in last night for the Seders that begin tonight. Before the period of Passover privation, we met for a last lunch at The Cottage, 190 Linden Street, Wellesley, a large, smooth-running restaurant this side of slick.

I had two large appetizers, carefully fried calamari with chili aioli ($18) and Garlic Crostini Steak Bites, sirloin pieces with horseradish cream on toasted baguette slices ($18), very good choices. To top it off, I had affogato, a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream in a cup of espresso ($9). Now, I am prepared to outrun Pharaoh’s minions. 
.  .  .

David Brooks is a conservative New York Times columnist, a right wing affirmative action baby. Yet, I have to admire his description of Donald Trump’s trade policy. “Producing something this stupid is not the work of a day; it is the achievement of a lifetime — relying on decades of incuriosity, decades of not cracking a book, decades of being impervious to evidence.”
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Law Professor David conducted the first Seder very effectively. He passed along one comment that I found particularly interesting. “This is the bread of our affliction,” a famous line when the matzoh is held up to the gathering, is usually explained as an example of the haste that the Israelites fled Egypt, not having time for bread to rise. He offered the alternative that the simple, crude matzoh is what the enslaved Israelites would normally be fed, a symbol of their dire existence.

Sunday, April 14, 2025
We slept in, missing the hotel’s free breakfast, a sign of our own liberation. It was lunchtime when we entered the very busy Mel’s Commonwealth Cafe, 310 Commonwealth Road, Wayland, a perfect example of a diner except for being embedded in a larger building. 

I had no problem adhering to the broad outlines of holiday observance. I ordered lox and onions and eggs, with home fries and matzoh instead of bread or a bagel ($17.99). The portion was large, it must have been three eggs, cooked just right. The joint is owned by the Bloomstein brothers, Mel’s sons, appropriately enough.
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I learned something at the second Seder that is beyond the scope of the Exodus. #1 Grandson Boaz taught me about Bageling, actually the term itself, because the practice is familiar. To Bagel is a semiotic exercise, communicating your Jewishness without being explicit. “This is the best whitefish salad I’ve ever had.” It’s sort of a defense mechanism, probing your surroundings without risking everything.

Monday, April 14, 2025
I am several steps removed from public education. Therefore, I have regarded the subject of school vouchers primarily through a legal lens, where have they breached or threatened to breach the separation of church and state, for instance. A new book, “The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers,” pierces the public relations bubble around school vouchers, “save poor kids trapped in failing schools,” and looks at actual performance. 

Demonstrated academic gains have eluded school voucher programs consistently. “In the last several years, major studies in Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Washington D.C. have shown that low-income students do not see improved test scores from attending private schools. If anything, students’ scores tended to decline.” 

Rather than benefiting public school students seeking better educational opportunities, a majority of school vouchers go to students already in private schools. The evidence supports this provocative headline: “Most Voucher Recipients Are Wealthy Families Who Never Attended Public Schools.” https://www.ncpecoalition.org/voucher-recipients

Incidentally, voters have rejected school voucher programs consistently in places, such as Utah, Arizona and Florida, but the beat goes on.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Over my many years, I was fired from jobs several times. In one instance, I was fired before I even started working. I never made anywhere near the millions of dollars that equity partners are typically making annually at big law firms and only reached half of what their first-year associates now make.

While I believe that money talks in our society, I naively thought that money also would fortify resolve. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with our largest law firms where profits per partner reach $9 million. 

One after another, they have cut outlandish deals with the administration when threatened with illegal and unconstitutional interference with their operations. Rather than use the ingenuity and clout that drove their success in the courtroom and the boardroom, they abandoned their scruples to a blustering bully, admittedly a dangerous one. 

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a firm that I admire, states its principle “in all things to govern ourselves as members of a free democratic society with responsibilities both to our profession and our country.” 
https://www.paulweiss.com/about-the-firm/principles

In bowing to the bullying of President Trump, it failed its responsibilities both to the legal profession and our country.

You know what? Take a hit, lose some money, but hold your head up.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025
The August 3, 1938 issue of The Manchester Guardian contained these classified advertisements.

Does this give you a little insight into the mindset of many Jews even today?

Thursday, April 17, 2025
I am not an Uber person. While I downloaded the app to my phone, I have never used it. I recall one occasion when Michael Ratner and I had lunch at Ben’s Best Delicatessen, 96-40 Queens Boulevard, of blessed memory, before a Mets game at Citi Field. Michael called Uber for a ride, just a short distance, but quite convoluted by public transportation. When Michael’s phone informed him that the car arrived to pick us up, nothing was in sight. He called the driver and they went back and forth. 

“Where are you?”
“I’m here.”
“No, you’re not!”
“Yes, I am.”
“Where are you?”

In spite of reading off the right address, the driver was a mile away. We quickly found a regular taxicab and got to the ballpark on time.

I recollected this when reading about Uber’s Lost & Found Index, the never-ending report of the probable and improbable items left behind by Uber passengers. 

It’s no surprise that phones, wallets and keys head the list, but breast milk, mannequin heads, and a urinal? New Yorkers forget the most stuff, with Miami and Chicago close behind. October 26th seems to be the most forgetful day of the year and different days of the week have different patterns of loss, gloves on Monday, medicine on Wednesday, umbrellas on Friday.

Friday, April 18, 2025
"The United States could end its efforts on ending the Ukrainian conflict within 'days' if there are no signs of progress, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday[, April 18th]."

"Donald Trump has repeatedly said he could settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day if he’s elected president again."
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Saturday, April 12, 2025

Theory of Relativity

Saturday, April 5, 2025
We had dinner with Barbara & Bernie, cousins of cousins, at Tri Dim Shanghai, 1378 Third Avenue, a very good  restaurant if you can’t reach Chinatown. In fact, it was jammed with round eyes at dinner time.

You can blame me for ordering too much, that is there was food left over when we groaned to a finish. We had a scallion pancake ($9): 2 Peking duck rolls ($8 each); Shanghai sautéed thick noodles with vegetables ($16); sautéed baby eggplant with string beans ($17); Slippery Chicken, shredded breast of chicken cooked with ginger, hot pepper and garlic in brown sauce, served with spinach ($23); Chang-do Chicken, 1 inch marinated white meat chicken cubes fried till crispy then sautéed with celery, carrots and scallions ($22); Red Cooked Short Ribs Hang Chow Style, 4 large short ribs braised with soy sauce and rock candy, then stewed in red wine sauce, served with spinach ($35). There was also gin, beer and Chardonnay to wash it all down.

Sunday, April 6, 2025
It’s out of our hands. As much as liberal intellectuals ponder the current state of affairs and contemplate the decline of the American experiment in democracy, we are merely bystanders. Last week, I heard historian Timothy Snyder speak of “futurelessness,” the impotent state that we find ourselves in. However, we should not be pessimistic. Help is on the way, coming from segments of society that have not been previously persuaded by our deep thinking.

Farmers, restaurants and construction companies will go begging for laborers to do the grunt work that red-blooded Americans have eschewed for decades. Automobile dealers will face buyer resistance to jacked up prices, even when inventory is available. Automobile repair shops and their customers will suffer from the shortage of parts and their increased cost. Offices and homes will be cleaned less often. Women, inevitably, will stay home absent child care. Our elderly (I am looking in the mirror) will go under attended, if attended at all. Stock traders are already getting hammered and retirement accounts are shrinking. Coffee beans and chocolate will become precious. So many who sought a return to greatness will face a new normal that is quite abnormal. 

That’s where the true resistance will arise and drive back the forces of darkness. Be advised, though, that Humpty Dumpty will not be put back together again.
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Speaking of change for the better, the conversion of office space to residential use is increasing. 

Urban office spaces are not being reoccupied to pre-Covid levels, encouraging property owners to tackle the design and logistical problems of residential conversion. And, it’s a rare city that isn’t in need of much more housing.
.  .  .  

Speaking of change for the worse, the United States Naval Academy has responded to the barbarian(s) now running the Department of Defense by removing 381 books from its library. 

Adolf Hitler stayed, Maya Angelou went.

Monday, April 7, 2025
Curbing the independence of colleges and universities seems to be part of Washington’s authoritarian playbook. Underlying it is the belief common to the left and the right that “the faculty of many of the nation’s top universities skew heavily to the left,” as asserted by the former National Legal Director of the ACLU. 

The irony of this is what’s really happening on campus where business is the most popular major, encompassing marketing, finance, accounting, entrepreneurship and international business. 

Observing that roughly 57 percent of Harvard’s class of 2022 went into finance, consulting, or technology, the Harvard Crimson said that “Harvard poets are now few and far between.” 

In any case, government dollars are not usually going to advance iambic pentameter. The hundreds of millions being withheld from Columbia University and other elite institutions are generally directed to the conduct and support of research in the sciences and health fields, areas generously populated by rhymes with Guess Whos?
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Tonight, we made a shiva call, the traditional visit to a Jewish house in mourning. The apartment was jammed, reflecting the affection for the deceased and his family. I eventually made my way through the crowd, far from the front door and close to the Diet Coke. A shiva has two parts, an informal gathering of friends and family to comfort each other and, if aligned with the right time of day, a prayer service. 

Two years ago, I lost my house keys and my smartyphone within a few days. As a result, I bought a set of electronic tags and attached one to my house keys, one to my car keys and stuffed one into my wallet. They allow my phone to detect their location.

Like any proper religious service, the shiva minyan is full of standing and sitting. At one point, a lilting ring-a-ding started and continued, competing with, but not overtaking, the lovely voice of Sharon Cinnamon, the prayer leader. My wife and I recognized it. I had sat on my wallet, triggering the electronic tag to signal my phone and set it off chirping in my coat pocket, hung in another room. To get to it would require more pushing and shoving than even I might rudely muster.

The phone battery wore down, the service ended and I departed without confessing until now.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
It was a good evening, very good food and excellent company. We had dinner with Judy and Roger at Dagon, 2454 Broadway, an Israeli/Arab/Mediterranean restaurant that is one of our very favorites. 

The best way to attack Dagon’s menu is to fill up with the mezze and “small plates.” They are less familiar and more interesting than the main courses, on the whole. We had six mezze for $51, described as Japanese eggplant confit, roasted garlic, tomato jam, buttermilk, shabazi (spice blend of cilantro leaves, green chili, garlic, and lemon) breadcrumbs; spicy feta, harissa (red chili paste) BBQ, smoked salt; chicken liver mousse, mustard seeds, date syrup, crispy shallots, baharat (paprika, black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg); marinated beets (horseradish yogurt, chickpeas); Matbucha (roasted tomato, sweet pepper dip); green tahini. 

  •  

    We added Banatas, two potato and lamb-stuffed fritters, spiked with dill, spices, egg ($19); kubaneh, Yemeni pull-apart bread with za’atar & feta, served with labneh (strained yogurt) ($16); and a Levantine Caesar salad, tahini, parmesan, fried chickpeas, toasted sesame, anchovy tempura ($19). This was enough food so that we only ordered one main course to share, chicken schnitzel, mediocre, disappointing compared to all that came before ($31).

  • A nice bottle of Yarden (Israeli) Chardonnay ($72) helped ease the way to dessert, Silan, vanilla pudding with date syrup, covered in shaved halavah ($14).
    • Wednesday, April 9, 2025
      In a rare moment of introspection, I once decided that I am a cynical optimist. It was in that spirit that I headed to Madison Square Garden to see the New York Rangers play hockey tonight. It is one of the last games of the season and the Rangers sit just outside of playoff position. There is a mathematical chance for them to make the playoffs, although I expect that a cruel fate would await them there.

      Not to worry. My cynicism out paced my optimism. The Rangers were manhandled (personhandled?) by the Philadelphia Flyers, a statistically inferior team, as if that made a difference.

      Friday, April 11, 2025
      The Upper West Side's Power Couple hit the road, heading for eastern Massachusetts to spend the next few days with the second and third generations, both East Coast and West Coast branches. Of course, it is Passover that brings us together. After all, if you are going to spend 40 years in the desert, you might as well do it with family.  



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Saturday, April 5, 2025

Footloose

Saturday, March 29, 2025
Thank goodness, the rich are getting richer. Wall Street’s latest “bonus pool hit a record $47.5 billion, up 34% from last year . . . The average bonus paid to employees also hit a record high, at $244,700, up 31.5% from the year before.”
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Law Professor Nate is in from California for a brief visit and we had an hour and a half together this afternoon. We thought that we might do macrame, but decided to talk politics instead, agreeing things stink.
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Madam and I went to the theater this evening to see “Love Life,” a forgotten musical collaboration between Kurt Weill, after “The Three Penny Opera,” and Alan Jay Lerner, before “My Fair Lady.” It follows an American family from revolutionary times to the present, then 1948. Their life and its stresses are meant to parallel the movement of American society from simple idealism to the compromises of modern capitalism.

Sunday, March 31, 2025
I’m glad that I can still be surprised. This survey of homeowners’ sitzfleisch in major markets surprised me, finding that Los Angeles homeowners stayed put the longest. 

In my nine years in exile on the Left Coast, it seemed that people hopped around frequently, certainly more frequently than in my New York experience. The gold standard was Mother Ruth Gotthelf who lived 57 years in her last apartment. On the other hand, Los Angeles real estate was hot hot at the time, propelling people to take advantage of the financial opportunities. For instance, the home that I purchased with my Original Wife in 1975 tripled in price in less than six years.
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We were back to the theater tonight to see the world premiere of “A Mother,” a play by Neena Berber “co-conceived” with the very talented Jessica Hecht, who also stars in the work. It is multilayered, interleaving three stories differing in time and location with some characters overlapping. It includes the intersection of "Paint Your Wagon" and Bertolt Brecht. The five actors handled their multiple roles deftly which helped to avoid thorough confusion.

Before the play, we ate at Aiyara Thai Restaurant, 480 Ninth Avenue, a small joint that gave the impression of firing its interior decorator early in the project. The food, on the other hand, mostly satisfied. I started with roti masaman, two good Indian crêpes with a curry dipping sauce that was far too bland ($7.95). My medium-large portion of drunken noodles with shrimp was tasty however, with a spicy kick ($18.95). 

Monday, March 31, 2025
Happy Birthday, Law Professor David.
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Flip flops should be worn to and from a shower. Period. They are an abomination in any other setting, although a woman returning from a pedicure may be excused. A fashion line called The Row has pushed the boundary of vulgar conspicuous consumption. It offers flip flops for $690. 

They are not bejeweled, not fashioned from the hide of a near extinct quadruped. Profits do not go to a worthy charity. They do not come with a lifetime warranty. They are flip flops selling for $690. To whom?

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Gentleman Jerry and I attended a lecture tonight by Timothy Snyder, historian, on “The New Paganism — A Framework for Understanding Our Politics.” Snyder himself has been making news, because he is leaving a chair at Yale University to take a position in Toronto, Canada.

I was awed by his presentation, asserting that we have returned to a neo-paganism, replacing reason with magic, superstition and charisma. Snyder said that we are facing a period of futurelessness. Jerry and I agreed that the mood of the large crowd (400+) at the New York Public Library was decidedly pessimistic. I commented that the same gathering in 2012 or 2021 would have exuded a very different mood. Is public opinion that fragile? 

Wednesday, April 2, 2025
“In New York City, the average cost [of a wedding] is eighty-eight thousand dollars.” 

That sounded so outlandish that I checked around and found a comment only three months earlier that “[t]he average wedding cost in NYC is around $78,600, significantly higher than the national average of about $34,000.”

Are guests' goody bags stuffed with flip flops from The Row?
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I had lunch with Toby McMullen, the only standup comedian who will be seen in public with me. I chose the Grand Central Terminal Oyster Bar, a classic venue with its dramatic vaulted tiled ceilings. As a relatively recent Holy Land resident, I thought Toby would appreciate this. Well, Yes and No. He liked the architecture, but, no longer a vegetarian, he still does not eat any fish or seafood. Go know. The one chicken dish on the menu satisfied, however.

I, on the other hand, plunged into the deep, starting with a bowl of New England clam chowder, rich and creamy as hoped for ($12.45). Then, I had a plate of about a dozen near-greaseless fried oysters with a large portion of French fries ($30.95). I’ll be sure and check for dietary restrictions the next time I dine with an outlander.
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Later in the afternoon, I followed Jewish tradition and sat in the basement of Plaza Community Chapel as a shomer, a guardian or watchman, near the body of Noah L., a lovely, gentle man. As a sign of respect, a body is not supposed to be left alone until burial. Jews, like Muslims, are urged to bury the dead quickly and then mourn, the opposite of many Christian practices.

Thursday, April 3, 2025
Quiz for dedicated Holy Landers:
Compare and contrast Zohran Mamdani and Zellnor Myrie
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Usually, I try to be decisive, even in haste. However, one question has me stumped: Who is a greater danger to their country — Bibi Netanyahu or Donald Trump?
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Sub-headline:
“The administration has now targeted five [Ivy League] schools’ federal funding as part of a pledge to combat what it considers to be antisemitism on university campuses.” In other words, it’s ultimately the Jews.

Friday, April 4, 2025
Stony Brook Steve, Terrific Tom and I had lunch at Koji Chicken, 764 Ninth Avenue, a hole in the wall with five small two-tops and two short ledges with five stools total. However, it makes excellent Korean chicken. I had the Cajun Chicken Sando, very crispy chicken tossed in Cajun seasoning, "zesty" pickles and a spicy ranch sauce on a potato bun ($9.95). Add a can of Diet Coke and French fries for $5.95. There offer half a dozen chicken sandwiches and also Bulgogi over rice or noodles. 
.  .  .

I hope that you are able to access the article below, because, in these tumultuous times, “Our Favorite Bathrooms” offer tranquil oases.
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Saturday, March 29, 2025

No Practice Needed

Saturday, March 22, 2025
Texas A&M University has banned performances “involv[ing] biological males dressing in women’s clothes.”
There goes Shakespeare. 
.  .  .

On the other hand, tolerance has gained a foothold at Yeshiva University, a school based on Modern Orthodox Jewish values. An LGBTQ club on campus is being recognized after several years of opposition by the administration.
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If you’d like to hear about intolerant Jews, I have something for you. A group of adult Jews met recently to discuss a gift to their progressive synagogue. The consensus choice was a Torah cover, both as an adornment and protection of the sacred text.

Some group members, who are apparently more sensitive than others to perceived grievances, objected to the first choice because it was made in Israel. Then, they made a blanket objection to any cover with a notable presence of blue, as in the Israeli flag.

I repeat: A group of adult Jews met recently to discuss a gift to their progressive synagogue.

Sunday, March 23, 2025
A study of the 1,839 largest American cities and towns for the period 2013-2023 found that the typical home is newer almost everywhere. 

While this is no surprise for new and expanding communities in wide open spaces, two of the top 10 are immediately adjacent to New York City and two more are in commuting range.
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How did we get to Carnegie Hall? By bus. It was the annual concert by HaZamir, the International Jewish Teen Choir. The specific attraction was Boaz, #1 Grandson, looming large at age 17. There were hundreds of Jewish kids on stage from the United States and Israel. Imagine the level of swelling adoration among the relatives who packed the hall. Boaz, in addition to towering over his peers in the back row, introduced one of the numbers in clear, self-assured tones.

Before the concert, the rest of the family met for lunch at Wagamama, 100 West 55th Street, the British-based, pan-Asian restaurant chain starting to expand here. I had Steak Bulgogi,
marinated sirloin steak, miso-fried eggplant, soba noodles, bulgogi sauce, kimchi and half a tea-stained egg ($24.50). It was good and spicy and filling. It went well with Diet Coke.
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“Liberals used to be the counterculture, today they’re the defenders of traditional norms and institutions.” Andrew Marantz in The New Yorker.

Monday, March 24, 2025
“According to figures released Sunday by the French Interior Ministry, 1,570 antisemitic acts were recorded in 2024, representing 62% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the country.” 

Do Jews make up 62% of the French population? Not even close. 1% actually.
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Corporate sponsorship is now being sought for the White House Easter Egg Roll.

In what may be the last gasp for DEI, I am seeking corporate sponsorship for our Passover Seder. So far, Toyota has expressed interest in underwriting the Four Questions.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
My brother is five years older than I am. He went to Stuyvesant High School and CCNY before I did. He was a far better student than I was and started a collection of pins from the two schools among others, as well as various political candidates of the time. I added to it. 

This minor trove sat untouched for decades until future president William Franklin Harrison came over today to help me sort it out. The Stuyvesant and CCNY piles will go to the respective alumni associations. We have no destination for the others at present, mostly candidates, Alf Landon-Adlai Stevenson-Eugene McCarthy, among the more interesting ones.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025
“The average American leaves 53 pounds, or $329 worth, of food on the plate at restaurants every year, according to 2023 data from ReFed, an organization that works to reduce food waste.”

If you have ever eaten with me, you know that I am not the average American.
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While I might like to fill these columns with birthday greetings, odes to Spring and news of Mets victories, other stuff keeps drawing my attention. For instance, Hunter College just redrafted a job posting for a faculty position in Palestinian studies. It originally mentioned “settler colonialism, genocide and apartheid.”
The new listing also omits reference to murder, rape and kidnapping.
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Speaking of happiness, the latest World Happiness Report has emerged from Oxford University.

For the eighth year in a row, Finland is the leading happy place, with other Scandinavian countries taking most of the top spots. Lebanon, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan are at the bottom of the heap. The good old USA comes storming in at 24th. Maybe we need more saunas. I found it interesting that Israel sits at eighth, obviously comfortable with blood and guts. 

Thursday, March 27, 2025
With that long trek across the Sinai Desert rising on the horizon, the Boyz Club gathered at Wo Hop, 17 Mott Street, to assign roles, who would lead the camels, who would feed the camels, who would clean up after the camels.

We ate heartily, egg rolls, honey crispy chicken, Singapore chow fun, chicken chow fun, beef with scallions and mushroom fried rice. With our generous, as always, gratuity, we spent $20 each. Ain’t no mountain high enough.

Friday, March 28, 2025
I had a late lunch at Lim's Kitchen, 242 East 40th Street, a small, neat Korean restaurant. It is a long rectangle, with seven four tops. The ceiling and upper half of the walls are painted white giving a bright feel. Below, there is one long strip of exposed brick, opposite faux wood planks. As soon as you sit down, three little dishes are put down, kim chi, the traditional Korean fermented cabbage, macaroni salad and tiny slices of cold omelet. Forks by request.

I ordered japchae, a large portion of glass noodles with shaved bulgogi beef, mushrooms, onions, scallions, red peppers, sesame seeds and carrots in a rich, salty soy sauce ($17.95, 5% discount for cash). They also serve Korean fried chicken, my target for a future visit.
.  .  .

In these dark days on the international front, there is an unusual little bright spot. Gazans are mounting demonstrations against their Hamas rulers, seeking peace and freedom.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/middleeast/why-gazans-are-protesting-hamas-now-intl-latam?cid=ios_app

Can Bibi Netanyahu curb his blood lust sufficiently to allow a bit of civilization to return to the birthplace of Western civilization?


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