In With The New

Saturday, January 3, 2026

I must have been wrong in thinking that Donald Trump did not listen to Harry Belafonte’s music.

Hey! 
Matilda, Matilda, Matilda 
She take me money and run Venezuela

https://youtu.be/o-RieGqVpv0?si=f2qFo71UNFy7Fqi5

Sunday, January 4, 2026

The Times of London says “Forget Manhattan — this is New York’s most exciting borough“ and they mean Queens. 

https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/north-america-travel/us-travel/new-york-city/queens-what-to-see-and-do-and-where-to-stay-guide-weekend-kvmw8pzlz

They point out that “Guinness World Records crowned New York’s largest borough, on the western end of Long Island, the most ethnically diverse urban area on the planet,” with at least 138 languages spoken here and cuisines to match. 

Monday, January 5, 2026

Serious attention is deservedly being paid to this administration’s real and threatened territorial grabs in Venezuela, Cuba and Greenland. Meanwhile, a shift in sovereignty is being launched locally. 

A little hometown geography first. The Holy Land is the only American city that I know of that includes more than one county, five in fact, called boroughs, borrowed from the British. With the exception of the Bronx and a sliver of northern Manhattan, they are detached from the continental United States. Staten Island, Richmond County, is somewhat physically removed from the rest of New York City, sitting in New York Harbor closer to New Jersey. It is also separated from the other boroughs politically, demographically and culturally.

The typical Staten Island resident is more likely to be a cop or a firefighter than a librarian or social worker. He (pardon me) is white, Christian and native born. He is inevitably Republican, voting for Trump in the last three elections and a variety of local Republican candidates. The result — Secession and the creation of a 51st state, reliably Republican and conservative. While Stephen Miller threatens Greenland out loud, he is quietly leading a task force to liberate Staten Island, intent on yielding two more senators and one representative to do God’s work in Washington.

Remember, you heard it here last.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Today is the fifth anniversary of the Second American Civil War. Like the First, the Bad Guys lost originally, but wound up winning. This time, it only took one election to turn the results upside down. 

.  .  .

I had lunch at Tacos Grand Central, 711 Second Avenue, a very small and very busy place. It has only two four-tops and two ledges with seven stools. I was one of the few customers to sit and eat, most grabbed and went.

I ordered the lunch special, three tacos and a can of soda for $12. You can choose corn or flour tortillas, beef, chicken or pork filling, cilantro and onion dressing or lettuce, tomato and cotija cheese. I had chicken on corn tortillas with cilantro and onion. It was a little dry; the lettuce, tomato and cheese probably would have been better and messier. Still, a good lunch.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

In less than five years, 7th Street Burgers has grown from its original East 7th Street location to over two dozen spots in New York, New Jersey and the DC area. And that’s with a menu that contains only hamburgers, fries and soft drinks. Their hamburgers are smashburger style, flattened, cooked fast with well-done edges.

I ate at 424 Amsterdam Avenue, a place where you could pack 12 very good friends, at most. I had a double cheeseburger with onion and pickle on a potato bread bun ($9.50) and fried matchstick potatoes ($4.50). As its website promises, the hamburger was “Gloriously greasy,” my fingers carrying the wonderful smell for more than an hour after I finished eating.

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Equal justice under law, except -- https://www.nber.org/papers/w34643

Friday, January 9, 2026

The Upper West Side’s Power Couple heads for California today. For more than two weeks we will be meeting family and friends in the Bay Area with a side jaunt to Palm Desert. Reports will follow.

The Other Gotthelf Curse is still in effect. Our departure gate #33 was one building over and at the end of the 31-47 bank, the numbers going from high to low, preparing you to face a meaningless universe where you can never know what to expect. The flight itself was uneventful and we are settled in our hotel room. We rented a car at the airport from Alamo, which upgraded us to a VW SUV upon seeing my ample dimensions. It has Texas license plates, tempting me to display my most obnoxious road manners.