False Flag

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Back home in the early afternoon from our quick wonderful trip to Toronto, I caught up with e-mail and messages. I received an announcement for a book talk by an author who “focuses on theater, music, architecture, crime, Black-Jewish cultural interactions, restaurants, real estate, and journalism to tell the history of New York’s Yiddish popular culture from 1880 to the present.” I think that we have lost the meaning of focus here.

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A few days ago, I was wasting time and brain cells playing a card game on my smartyphone when an advertisement for L.L. Bean popped up offering a variety of their goods at steep discount. 

 

Recognizing a bargain, I ordered five polo shirts in an assortment of colors for about 80% off. As I unpacked from our trip today, I wondered about the shirts and the absence of an order confirmation or tracking information.

My credit card company told me that there was a charge to Miscellaneous Merchant, not further identified, for $48.26 on July 14, but no transaction with L.L. Bean. A call to Mr. Bean confirmed the scam. We had not done business for a long time. I then called back my credit card company to unwind the fraudulent (non)purchase. So, watch out kiddies.

Monday, July 21, 2025

Shopping list update 

I have maintained that the whitefish salad at Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish, 273 Columbus Avenue and six other locations, is superior to other versions. Now, I have to add Zabar’s chunky whitefish salad ($18.99/lb.) as an alternative, very little filler, a dab of mayonnaise. If you’re already there, 2245 Broadway, shopping for one of three gazpachos, cold fruit soup, crumb cake, blintzes, one of a hundred cheeses, chopped herring, and several strudels with or without cheese, get some chunky whitefish salad.

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

In a display of cordiality that may serve as a lesson both domestically and internationally, Gentleman Jerry accompanied me to the Mets game against the Los Angeles Angels even though he is a Yankees fan. Being a good sport, he showed some enjoyment in the Mets victory, although not at my level of adolescent hysteria.

The subway gods tried to spoil the evening by having the train ahead of us break down on the way back to Manhattan, doubling the time to get home, but the thrill of victory kept the packed crowd almost patient.

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Bret Stephens, a New York Times columnist, usually spends his time defending non-Trump Republican policies, a niche role. He also proudly supports Jewish positions and causes. Today, in a column headlined “No, Israel Is Not Committing Genocide in Gaza,” he makes a shameful statement. “In short, the first question the anti-Israel genocide chorus needs to answer is: Why isn’t the death count higher?” In other words, until or unless the Israeli military is more efficient we will spare them the appellation. That’s not my Judaism, that’s not my Zionism.

Rabbi Shaul Magid explains why some Jews remain unmoved by Israeli cruelty in Gaza. They believe that “Israel, like the Jews, is always the victim, never the perpetrator.” 

https://shaulmagid.substack.com/p/the-nero-effect-are-we-jews-distracted?utm_source=post-banner&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true

We generally consider ourselves a generous people. The names on the buildings in major urban medical centers often reads like roll call at a synagogue’s annual meeting. And, it’s not just the Tribe’s top tier that demonstrates this spirit. Mother Ruth Gotthelf was still writing checks (in her own hand) to charities in her 103rd year.

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Small World Department

So, the guy that I had coffee with this afternoon has a son who went to the Bronx High School of  Science with Zohran Momdani who was one of his best friends and used to visit regularly.

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Terrific Tom and I had lunch at Jasmine’s Caribbean Cuisine, 371 West 46th Street, a new restaurant on the Theater District’s Restaurant Row. It’s not a very big joint, but it packs in a lot. There is a long bar in the front and a room with 20 small two-tops in various combinations. Befitting the island theme, there are bright colors everywhere. It was just about empty at lunchtime and the one waiter was very attentive and turned the music down as requested.

We shared three appetizers, four big coconut shrimp ($18), two small crab cakes ($21), six jerk chicken wings ($17). We differed only on the jerk chicken, Tom C-, me B. The other two dishes we agreed were excellent. Check it out and save airfare to the islands.

Friday, July 25, 2025

Ghislaine Maxwell was interviewed by Department of Justice personnel at the federal penitentiary in Tallahassee, Florida yesterday about Jeffrey Epstein’s affairs. Informed sources say that she claimed that Donald Trump frequently and vigorously chided Epstein on his behavior with young women and eventually cut off all relations with him, because of Epstein’s failure to reform. Maxwell was disappointed that Trump’s forceful admonitions were not ultimately effective. 

This morning, the White House announced that Maxwell received a full pardon of her sex trafficking conviction and was appointed ambassador to Finland.

Northern Lights

Currency conversion rate $1 Can = $.73 USD

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Our flight to Toronto departed 45 minutes late on its way to close a gap of 61 years. My graduate school years have had a never ending impact on my life. Some of the subject matter stayed with me and even now informs some of my opinions, but it was my fellow students who made the biggest difference. 

When I left for Cornell University, my social network was almost entirely Jewish. Through high school, there were some Italians mixed in and literally a couple of Blacks. Now, I had friendships with guys (only) from England, Iowa, Utah and Westchester County (as exotic as Iowa), none Jewish. Some are gone, Adrian, Dean, John, Larry. Still active and vital is Bernie Frolic, one of Canada’s leading political scientists for many decades. While we have recently Zoomed, we were last together in 1964 when he left to study local governments in the Soviet Union. Today, we started to fill the chasm of names, places and events that occupy the missing time.

Reconnecting with Bernie was only one element of this trip. Irene Frolic, his wife, has become a world renowned sculptor and has a major exhibit at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery in Waterloo, Ontario. We came to see her work as well, which has been described as “infuse[d] . . . with knowledge, feelings, history and heritage.”

Bernie and Irene live in a 51-story building which is almost a city in itself in downtown Toronto. They are on the 36th floor with a great view of the city and sunsets. A Whole Foods is in the basement along with a variety of other retailers. Additionally, a section of hotel rooms are incorporated where we are staying for the weekend.

For dinner, we went to Scaccia, a small, charming Italian restaurant in the basement. Madam and I shared a Caesar salad with such a good dressing that I didn’t notice the absence of anchovies ($16 Can). From the dozen and a half pasta dishes, I chose Siciliana, penne, sweet peppers and sausage in a spicy tomato sauce ($25 Can) and I chose well.

Friday, July 18, 2025

Bernie drove us to Waterloo to see Irene’s exhibition. 

Having the artist explain her works in detail was a very special experience. Irene was candid in describing the feelings that inspired her efforts. I valued this, because my aesthetic sense never made it out of Brooklyn.

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Before leaving Waterloo, we had lunch at Quick Sandwiches, 95 King Street South. I had an excellent “New York Steak” sandwich with mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms and aioli on a grilled roll ($17.99 Can). The only thing it wasn’t was quick, since the owner/cook was deliberate about assembling and preparing the ingredients.

The good food for the others, a smoked turkey sandwich ($13.99 Can) and a portobello grilled veggie sandwich ($12.99 Can), helped us endure somewhat the 3-1/2 hour drive back to Toronto, 1-1/2 hour longer than the ride out.

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We got back just in time to go out to dinner at Petit Potato, 1033 Bay Street. Naturally, it is a Pan Asian restaurant with a very large menu, lacking only potatoes small and large. We sat outside to enjoy the balmy weather and avoid the noise level inside.

We ate a lot. I started with a delicious Taiwanese green apple slush ($7.99 Can). Bernie and I shared a Taiwanese beef wrap, essentially a Chinese burrito ($12.99 Can), and the ox tongue stew ($13.75 Can). Beef tongue on rye with mustard is better.

By then, I managed to finish only 3/4 of my plate of teppan (narrow fettuccine) with slices of duck breast ($17.99 Can) and could not even consider dessert.

Saturday, July 19, 2025

After the Wall Street Journal reported that Donald Trump sent Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday card, Trump filed suit for $10 billion alleging “overwhelming financial and reputational harm.” Rupert Murdoch, of all people, will now be our leading defender of truth in media. 

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We went to a major exhibition at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) “Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.” You don’t have to think twice about the relevance of the title. One wall placard read:

In 1933, the German legal system quickly aligned with Nazi goals. The courts permitted the purge of the Social Democrats and Jews and did not protest when the new government gave the police broad powers-independent of judicial review— to arrest and incarcerate real or perceived state enemies in concentration camps.

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Aiming for my sweet spot, we four went to dinner at Pearl Yorkville Chinese Cuisine, 730 Yonge Street, a very attractive, large restaurant on a very busy corner. I did much of the ordering. Not only are there different lunch and dinner menus, some familiar items, such as scallion pancakes, are reserved for the daytime. We were not left without abundant alternatives, however.

While madam filled up on vegetable chow mein ($24 Can), the three of us had “Hockey Pucks”, pan fried shrimp and chive patties ($18 Can for 6 pieces). We continued with orange beef, very successfully differing from the typical New York version, because the beef was lightly sautéed not deep fried and chunks of orange were in the dish not tangerine skin ($33 Can). Our other main dishes, lamb with cumin ($38 Can) and Singapore vermicelli ($28 Can) were nicely prepared, but lacked bite. While Ontario Province is predominantly English speaking, the fortune cookies were bilingual.

To be clear, while I have a little cred when it comes to Chinese restaurants, Bernie is the real deal. He is the Executive Director of the Asian Business and Management Program at York University. He has written “China and Canada: A Fifty-Year Journey,” “Mao’s People: Sixteen Portraits of Life in Revolutionary China” and other books and many articles about China and other Communist regimes. He first went to China in 1965 and has taught in China and about China over many years since.

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Fortunately, dessert was only a few feet (meters) away from dinner at Nani’s Gelato, 6 Charles Street East, easily identified by the line outside. In a rare display of moderation, I had only a small cup of mango chocolate chip, an obvious combination not previously encountered ($6.49 Can).

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Except for departing our hotel at the ungodly hour of 7 A.M., we left Toronto in fine spirits and had an uneventful trip home.

California and Back

Thursday, July 10, 2025

The Upper West Side’s Power Couple took to the air this morning. We flew to the Bay Area for a weekend with the second generation in lieu of time together in Israel, leaving from JFK Terminal 4. Given my low expectations for traversing airline terminals, I was almost a bit disappointed that gate B33 was only about 2/3 of the way to Staten Island.

Our flight was incident-free and allowed me to see several episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” that I missed originally. The couple to the left of my aisle seat never got up while I was seated, leaving me undisturbed. All the paperwork for our rental car was done in advance, so we were out of the airport fairly quickly. If you know the geography, however, getting across the Bay to the Oakland-Berkeley area requires going through downtown San Francisco for an elapsed time of about an hour. Still, we were comfortably settled in our hotel with ample time to get ready for dinner with our brood.

Allison and Will, the locals, made reservations at Acre Kitchen & Bar, 5655 College Avenue, Oakland. I was wrong to guess that it was named for the Israeli seaport on the Mediterranean a/k/a Akko. Israeli-born Irit thought the same. Instead, Acre calls itself California Rustic for which there is no independent definition. The food deserved a better label, in fact, superlatives might apply.

I had some of the two shared Summer Watermelon Salads on the table, with cucumber, feta, mint oil, Marcona almonds ($17), very refreshing. Then, I had one of the eight 12” pizzas on the menu, lamb merguez (sausage), Fresno chile, walnuts, pistachio  muhammara (nut and red pepper dip), feta ($27). I asked for it spicy and I got it spicy. It was excellent, but far more than even one glutton could handle. Bring a friend who’ll eat treyf.

I managed to squeeze in affogato for dessert ($11). They used soft serve ice cream instead of gelato and it went very well with the espresso poured over it.

Friday, July 11, 2025

Madam and I strolled around and went to lunch at the Public Market, 5959 Shellmound* Street, Emeryville, a food court with a dozen active vendors and about a half dozen empty stalls in a formerly industrial space. I got my food at Nabi Q, Korean BBQ Grilled Chicken, a bento box of chicken with short rib, including rice, chapchae (glass noodles), broccoli, carrots, kimchi and three pot stickers ($25.50), a lot to eat. 

.  .  .

Someone identified as “social media influencer and former gymnast Olivia Dunne” made news of a sort by being rejected by a co-op board from purchasing a New York apartment once owned by Babe Ruth. “I was gonna pay with cash, like I wanted this apartment bad. Like it got to the point where the realtor was so confident,” she said. I cannot confirm that several board members were adults.

.  .  . 

The six of us were back together for dinner in a very interesting venue. The Saap Avenue (sic), 4395 Piedmont Avenue, Oaland, is a Laotian restaurant, probably the first that I have ever visited. Generally, I found it a combination of Vietnamese and Thai cuisines with a little extra spice. A large bar is at the center of the room and tables are arrayed in a U-shape against three walls, decorated with bright murals.

The table shared two orders of crispy roti (South Asian pancakes) with yellow curry ($12). The Oakland Heartthrob and I split an order of six Spicy Basil Wings in a spicy, sweet basil sauce ($14). I then had Panang Crispy Duck Curry, strips of crispy duck breast in panang curry sauce (curry paste, peanuts and coconut milk) with red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli and fried Thai "Holy Basil" (a plant from the mint family alleged to have medicinal properties) ($30). 

Other folks had Vegetarian Crispy Egg Rolls ($12 for four pieces); yellow curry with chicken ($26); yellow curry with vegetables ($22); Kamoo, slow-braised pork leg with broccoli, mustard greens, spiced garlic lime sauce ($24). While the National Geographic says that Laos is one of the poorest countries on Earth, you wouldn't know it from these prices.

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* The Oakland Heartthrob informed me that the Emeryville Shellmound was once a massive archeological site, a sacred burial ground of the Ohlone people (Native Americans dwelling along the Northern California coast), combining human remains and food waste, including shellfish. 

Saturday, July 12, 2025

In downtown Berkeley this afternoon, I stopped in the Gadani Waffle Cafe, 139 Berkeley Square, noted for its ice cream. It's a very small place, hard to linger inside with five stools, three high, two low and a small bench. Additionally, there were a couple of tables outside. I had two very large scoops for $7.95, cookies and cream and cardamom pistachio, loaded with whole pistachios. This served for lunch. 

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The fabulous mother-daughter team that I have attached myself to both had major birthdays in June, the basis for our elaborately planned and historically thwarted trip to Israel. Tonight, America's Loveliest Nephrologist held her own party, attended by her local friends and her visiting relatives. The food and drink were first-rate. My only complaint was that in spite of the abundant presence of physicians, there were no neurologists or orthopedists.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

The natural order has reasserted itself. Our departing flight from San Francisco was delayed one hour and the boarding gate was the next to last one terminal over. We were back home just after midnight.

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Memo to Left Coasters: This was a very short trip. Prepare yourselves for a two-week stay early next year.

Monday, July 14, 2025

Last week, I expressed my opposition to the phrase Globalize the Intifada, at base a slogan for violence and mayhem. There is an alternative: Localize the Intifada. Direct energy and passion to improving first what’s accessible and then have your successes fuel your expansion. Broad based revolutions have classically eaten their children, rarely leaving most people better off. Clean up your block, your neighborhood, your city before throwing yourself at the nation-state. In spite of the punishing restrictions Israel often placed on Gaza, there was ample time and resources to elevate the population rather than dig tunnels for their militants.

On the other hand, Trump has been eager to unleash our military against destructive forces, real or imaginary while a campaign of terror and violence is being conducted in plain sight by crazed Jewish settlers on the West Bank. Arab fields, homes and lives are attacked even as the forces of law and order stand back. If the IDF cannot stop the anarchy, send in the Marines.

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We know that rents locally always go up and we usually think at the neighborhood level, Flatbush, Upper West Side, Astoria. A new study, however, adds another reference point -- subway stop. https://share.google/tgTnHx02URooYeP9G

Even among car owners, mass transit is the wisest option for getting around and about much of the city. Going to work most often means a subway ride. Situating yourself near a subway station is good strategy, but usually at a price. As gentrification marches on, subway lines replace Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett in pointing new directions.

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

A group of German computer scientists, thankfully writing in English, studied vocabulary changes in more than 15 million biomedical abstracts published from 2010 to 2024, a period when large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT emerged. 

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt3813

Based on the increasing prevalence of certain words, they concluded that “at least 13.5% of 2024 abstracts were processed with LLMs,” an effect “on scientific writing [that] is truly unprecedented.” Among the hundreds of telltale words were delves, crucial, potential, necessity, pinpoints, versatility and harness. LLMs supposedly use them more frequently than “human” writers. Not found on the list were Ivanka, huge, Melania and bigly.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Stony Brook Steve and I went out to lunch at Shanghai Dumplings Fusion, 158 West 72nd Street, the new joint which still has a sign in front announcing a Soft Opening. That seems to be keeping most people away. We soldiered on, however. I had thin, cigar-shaped Tiger Prawn Rolls ($8.95 for 3), a paltry serving, and popcorn chicken ($8.95), an ample portion, lacking crispness. On the other hand, it was 87° and humid outside.

.  .  .

We have a new theme song.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uSiHqxgE2d0

The Upper West Side’s Power Couple takes off tomorrow for another long weekend, this time to Toronto. You’ll hear about it next time.

B.C. [Before California]

Saturday, July 5, 2025

This is an erudite article on the origins of pizza.  

https://www.gethistories.com/p/a-history-of-pizza?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

This advertisement from May 9, 1903 provides evidence that the pioneer of New York pizza was Filippo Milone, forgotten by history. 

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Bad news, good news. Shakespeare & Company, a small local chain of bookstores, named after the iconic enterprise on Paris’s Left Bank, closed its last location, 2020 Broadway, barely one  block from Palazzo di Gotthelf. It was a neat operation with a too comfortable cafe. People never left. On the other hand, it has quickly been replaced by a branch of Strand Bookstore, the Everest of bookstores. 

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I don’t support Zohran Mamdani, but how he identified himself on a college application is the worst reason to oppose his candidacy for New York mayor. I would not want some assertions that I made as a 17-year old to emerge now. “Of course, I’ll respect you in the morning.” 

By the way, he is the son of a Columbia University professor and a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science (one of the best in the country), yet he couldn’t get into Columbia in spite of possibly exaggerating his minority status. Unaffirmative action?

I think that Mamdani’s inexperience impresses/depresses me more than his foreign policy views. However, I am appalled by his refusal to distance himself from the evil slogan “Globalize the Intifada”. It’s not merely a call to struggle for justice. It has been wrapped around such incidents as:

• On March 11, 2004, 193 people are killed and nearly 2,000 are injured when 10 bombs explode on four trains in three Madrid-area train stations during a busy morning rush hour.
• A series of coordinated suicide bombings in London that targeted public transport during the morning rush hour, on July 7, 2005, resulting in 52 deaths and over 770 injuries. 
• Attacks by ten gunmen from November 26 to 29, 2008, across multiple locations in Mumbai, including hotels, a train station, and a Jewish center, resulting in at least 174 deaths and over 300 injuries. 
• Attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015 by gunmen and suicide bombers against a concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars, almost simultaneously, leaving 130 people dead and hundreds wounded.

Chanting it on the green lawns of college campuses does not sanitize it.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

“As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas.” New York Times headline. But look how much money we saved.

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While New York City home prices appreciated 49% in the period 2014-2024, the median sale prices of 24 neighborhoods recorded gains as high as 288%.

https://www.propertyshark.com/Real-Estate-Reports/2025/06/03/double-in-a-decade-nyc-neighborhood-price-growth/

Leading the pack was Two Bridges, a new name for a carved out section of the Lower East Side. One Manhattan Square, an 800-foot luxury condominium tower, drove this dramatic increase. It sits across from the East River, at the bottom end of Pike Slip, an extension of First Avenue. A Pathmark supermarket perched there until Hurricane Sandy in 2012 flooded the entire premises, destroying its usefulness. 

When I was single, I lived on East 46th Street between First and Second Avenues, an area weak on grocery stores. Periodically, I would take the M15 bus downtown to the Pathmark carrying two empty shopping bags. When they were full, I checked out and took the bus back uptown. On weekends, I would often go to Zabar’s on my bicycle, filling only one medium-sized bag. 

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I was faced with a bit of a dilemma at dinner tonight. We were joined by the lovely couple David and Julie, who, among other outstanding character traits, read this blog thoroughly. David, one of about a dozen Davids of my acquaintanceship, lamented the lack of a distinguishing nickname, such as Gentleman Jerry or Stony Brook Steve. I therefore anoint the accordion-playing, Hebrew-chanting, technology master David as Delightful David. 

Dinner at Dagon, 2454 Broadway, was easily labeled a success. We did our usual at Dagon, concentrate on mezze and bread. We shared everything: Japanese eggplant confit, roasted garlic, tomato jam, buttermilk, shabazi (blend of cilantro leaves, green chili, garlic, and lemon) breadcrumbs; spicy feta; tzatziki; marinated beets; tomato & pepper matbucha (North African condiment) dip; green tahina; flatbread ($51 for the platter). Plus Kubaneh, Yemeni pull-apart bread with za'atar and feta ($16); Israeli salad, cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley, mint, tahini, green schug (spicy  herb garlic pepper sauce) ($18) and chicken liver mousse with date syrup ($12). Special mention of a delicious dessert: Silan -- shredded halva, caramel rice crisps, pistachio, almonds, tahini mousse, vanilla sponge, date syrup, vanilla ice cream ($14). 

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Even while the increasingly futile hunt for victims of the Texas floods continues, interest has shifted to identifying the few existing Democratic politicians in Texas who might be blamed for the tragedy.

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You may or may not be a reader of the New York Times. In either case, you can measure your own taste in movies against the general readership.  

Readers Choose Their Top Movies of the 21st Century - The New York Times

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Somebody somewhere is apparently using artificial intelligence to create a Marco Rubio clone.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/politics/marco-rubio-artificial-intelligence-impersonation 

This construct has communicated with public officials domestic and foreign. I don't understand why the person behind this caper took the trouble to duplicate Marco Rubio when the original is so inconsequential as to be mistaken for wallpaper at public gatherings.

ALERT

Normally, I would ramble on through the rest of the week, but we flew to California Thursday morning and I decided to break here and continue later. 

Words of Wisdom

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Iza ana amir wa-inta amir — min rah yisuq el-hamir?

If I’m a prince and you’re a prince, who’ll drive the donkeys?

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I’ve made an important discovery, an excellent store-bought babka.

 

 

The pretzel element is in the twisting; it is not brittle and salty. It is more chocolatey than Breads Bakery’s, the best that I have had before. I bought it at Morton Williams Fresh Marketplace, 2015 Broadway, where at $16.99 it is $4 more expensive than at ShopRite.

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I was stymied as to the right wedding gift for Jeff and Lauren. There seemed to be no obvious gap in their possessions. Fortunately, Kim suggested that we go in together and get something special. I’m letting her do the shopping.

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In Trump v. CASA, Inc., the United States Supreme Court just held that federal courts may not give universal injunctions, in this instance to maintain birthright citizenship. The majority took a seemingly technical approach, ignoring the policy implications. 

 

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson saw through this. “Perhaps the degradation of our rule-of-law regime would happen anyway. But this court’s complicity in the creation of a culture of disdain for lower courts, their rulings and the law (as they interpret it) will surely hasten the downfall of our governing institutions, enabling our collective demise.”

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We met intrepid fellow travelers Jill & Steve for dinner at Moonstone Modern Asian Cuisine & Bar, 14 Northern Boulevard, Great Neck. It is a large, bright space, comfortably furnished with no ethnic touches except for the menu and the waiters. The large menu combines Chinese and Japanese elements, although we stuck to the former.

We all shared scallion pancakes ($16) and sesame cold noodles ($19). They were good, the noodles very good and obviously expensive as were all the other dishes. Steve and I, the carnivores, shared Mango Chicken with Honey Walnuts ($31) and Crispy Beef ($34), a generous portion of thick strands of beef. Service was slow, a virtue in this case since we don’t see these friends often enough. There was also ample parking.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

זה הזמן לבצע צ'ק אין לטיסתך

The message from El Al Israel Airines came in early this morning and far exceeded the bounds of my Hebrew school education at the Sutter Avenue Synagogue far back in the 20th Century. However, I deduced that we were being welcomed aboard a useless flight, locked in by Booking.com, supposedly returning the Upper West Side’s Power Couple from Tel Aviv although we had gotten no further than Great Neck last night. I will not repeat my rant at this time.

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An obituary appears today for John Robbins, “Author of Groundbreaking Diet Book.” It wasn’t my obvious need for such guidance that connected me to him, however attenuated. It was a family matter. He was the son of a co-founder of Baskin-Robbins. 

Sometime in early 1964, when I was a graduate student at Cornell University, my dear friend Andy asked me to join him at the ΑΕΦ sorority house, an eminent collection of young Jewish women. Among the attractions was Marsha Robbins, he said, something to do with ice cream. While the original stores began in the mid-1940s, Baskin-Robbins was formed in 1953. In 1964, however, it was still concentrated in the West and unknown to my gluttonous palate. “Who’s this Robbins?” I said dismissively; the Baskin was silent. I never met Marsha Robbins, who 

subsequently transferred to Stanford University after her freshman year. The 31 flavors never included me.

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This evening I attended a memorial service on Zoom for my friend Larry Storrs. I learned that he served as a bishop in his stake (congregation) of the Latter Day Saints a/k/a the Mormons, a disfavored term. A bishop has a fixed term, combining the functions of the rabbi and the president of the shul. We never addressed spiritual matters, an area that I religiously avoid. We focussed on politics instead, where Larry sounded more like a New York Jew than a Utah Mormon.

Monday, June 30, 2025

My problems with Booking.com drew me to the National Customer Rage Survey.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/historic-national-customer-rage-survey-record-level-of-product-and-service-problems-incite-surly-customers-to-yell-more-and-seek-revenge-for-their-hassles-301765053.html

I think all of us qualify at one time or another.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

David Goldfarb passed away 15 months ago. Stony Brook Steve still calls him the Chairman. A group of six met for lunch at Pastrami Queen, 138 West 72nd Street, to celebrate David’s 96th birthday. He was an authoritative source on wine, apples, cheese, tomatoes, fish, herbs, orchids and several historical periods. Our learned group in aggregate could only approximate the breadth of his knowledge. Recognizing our limits, we concentrated on the food.

Since it was Tuesday, I ordered the Tuesday special, pastrami and corned beef each on a dinner roll with French fries, coleslaw and a pickle ($22.50). A fitting tribute to a great friend.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

It was by the narrowest margin, but the United States Senate really showed those poor slobs who’s in charge. Now, it’s the turn of the House of Representatives.

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Among the many ugly things happening in Washington these days, the attack on science forebodes long lasting consequences. In the absence of inquiry and investigation, we may know less about accomplishing good things and avoiding bad things. Fortunately, one valuable study has just been completed — What’s cool. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xge-xge0001799.pdf

“From San Francisco to Santiago, Sydney to Seoul, people want to be cool.” We are talking Miles Davis cool. The study doesn’t provide a path as much as identifying a goal. “Cool people are largely perceived to be extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous.” A good lesson was provided by Oscar Brown, Jr. in 1961.  https://youtu.be/z4yEyDjclo4?feature=shared

Thursday, July 3, 2025

In its campaign to Make America Grovel Again, the administration is pushing a bill that, among other things, would cut healthcare spending by a trillion dollars or more, disregarding the fact that healthcare is the leading employer in 38 states, employing about 13% of the national workforce.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/07/03/business/economy/healthcare-jobs.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

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My brother’s daughter and grandchildren, normally far afield, are in the vicinity. Therefore, we all gathered for lunch at LouCás, 9 Lincoln Highway, Edison, New Jersey, a very nice Italian restaurant that resembles, in my mind, a country club dining room, although I have rarely if ever been in one. The long lunch menu was augmented by many specials which the waiter recited without a hitch. Everything that followed was very good.

We ordered two plates of Fried Shoe String Zucchini, sprinkled with fresh grated Romano cheese ($12). The portion was so large that one plate would have been enough for the eight of us, although I made sure that none remained. I also had some shared fried calamari in a chunky mango sauce, a daily special not on the menu. 

 

My main course was "Maryland Lump Crabmeat Broiled and Glazed with a Chardonny [sic] Buerre Blanc Sauce" ($19). The issue was quantity not quality. The portion should have been larger or the price lower. On the other hand, the chocolate-covered Peanut Butter Bomb, the size of a baseball, was well worth the $9. With so many people at the table, I couldn't keep up with all food. I did observe eggplant rollatini filled with a blend of ricotta and parmesan cheese served with pasta ($15) a couple of times, broiled shrimp stuffed with Crabmeat Imperial Stuffing ($19) a couple of times, grouper special ($?), and a crab cake special ($?). LouCás, to its credit, has a BYOB policy, which keeps a hearty meal within economic boundaries.

Friday, July 4, 2025

Wise Rabbi Jonah Rank writes: "Because the Hebrew language originated several millennia ago and arose in a land far from where many Jews had settled in their Diasporic homes—Jews regularly read sacred books filled with words that even those who speak Hebrew fluently struggle to understand." With that in mind, consider the Second Amendment to the Constitution. "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Unlike the ancient Hebrews, we are removed from the Founding Fathers by only 236 years and 94 miles via the New Jersey Turnpike. Yet, we struggle to make sense of their words. In fact, for 217 years the Second Amendment was considered as only addressing a collective right to bear arms, that is to field a militia. In 2008, however, in a 5-4 decision written by Antonin Scalia the United States Supreme Court held that it protected an individual's right to bear arms from most forms of government regulation. Sanity in gun control is now as unachievable as fairness in our tax code.