Posts

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Table’s Tilt

Stellar restaurateurs once converged in Northampton and made it a dining destination. Those shining stars have lately dimmed. Freshness, quality, service have disappeared into a black hole. I don’t want to pay less for three courses of frozen cardboard food. The economy is bad, true. So, put fewer choices on the menu and make sure they’re fresh and good. If you disagree, enlighten me.

A former bright local, Unmi has returned to open a new restaurant “Coco” in the former Easthampton Venus venue. Will try it soon. ‘Til then cooking at home.

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Another Orchard

 Think different. Imagine. Steve Jobs is gone. He will fertilize another orchard somewhere out there now. Down here, the mundane reality is that jobs are gone. Silly people pretend as politicians solve nothing. Local apple orchards are brimming for picking. Atkins’ Fruit Bowl is full. Life goes on without a core visionary.

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Clock Works

The Night Circus is a tightly wound time piece. Nocturnal wonderment. Transcendent love. Boundless imagination. Morgenstern’s first novel is a tour de force.  5 stars. When you read it, and you must, pay close attention to chapter headings and dates. When I finally got the “Bailey” joke, I laughed out loud. This was one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. Couldn’t put it down. Hated to have it end. Loved it.

Amanda Knox’ four year purgatory finally over. Her Italian amante’s as well. Seems right. Conrad Murray, not so much. If you are a cardiologist, it’s good to know CPR at the very least. ElevatorEcon continues. Tick tock Andy Rooney.

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Rx Trex

Doctors as gods. Maureen Dowd tackles this topic today. With the abundance of internet info now, much of it faux, patients have become emboldened to question and contradict physicians’ diagnoses and treatment. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Many people demand every new test, scan, drug, because they’ve read about it and they can. Unless they have to pay out of their own pockets. Then, not so much. With the advent of ObamaCare, less will be covered. Tug-of-war alert.

Speaking of false gods. What’s with the deification of Chris Christie? He’s Irish and Italian. check. He’s fat. check. He’s a family man. check. But, is he really the GOP’s elixir? Once the Tea Bags hear all of his views, he’ll become Dr.Devil.

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Yerp Out

Back in the early 90’s when there was talk of a European Union forming with one currency, I was a naysayer. I could not imagine countries with centuries of distinct cultures, languages, economic roots ever agreeing on anything as one entity. An article in The Economist, entitled ‘Yerp’ caught my attention at the time. It was a kindred cynical satirical view using the American tourist term for the continent. “We’re heading off to ‘Yerp’ for vacation in August.” As if Europe were just one big happy country. Never thought it could actually become so.

Wrong. The EU formed in 1998 with the Euro its common currency. However, as Paul Krugman says today, maybe we were right.

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Heir Loom

Happy Birthday bro’ Joe. Personification of loyalty and class. Sports maven with sass. Next rhyme too obvious. Trousers tailor heir. 3 sons’ Dad beyond compare.

On a cool sunny September Sunday, it’s time to make Indian chicken. Not as good as Joey3Sticks’ “Coogan”, maybe better. It’s my twist on an old Burmese recipe using late summer heirloom tomatoes and hot peppers from the farmstand. Check it out at Recipe Detours. Pats at 4.

Ben ran into Jonathan Groff at brunch, then went to see Ethel Merman, I mean Bernadette Peters in Follies. Tickets were free. What is a proprietary eponym?

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mAdBen

Just four blocks down the street, mAdBen off to meet the new MadMen Associates at Ogilvy & Mather’s Chocolate Factory. Sweet. Maybe too much like “Sterling Cooper”. This year’s graduation featured a pyramid of martini glasses. Oh boy. Stay away from Joan and Peggy. Do I smell a CLIO by end of the week?

U.S. Open highlights. Aussie Samantha Stosur, I’m a new fan! Composure, determination, class. And she doesn’t grunt. Tonight Djok v. La Reina, my name for la Rafa Nadal. Tea Party debate. Oh yeah, Pats play Miami.

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Time Spans

Ten years ago my main concern was finding my sister Cindy who worked at World Trade #7. Finally found her in mid-town thank goodness and told her to get to Alicat and Joey3. Then it was time for Ben to come home from middle school. He wouldn’t fly out to friend’s bat mitzvah that October, didn’t want me to fly either. Life did change that day.

Life changes for lots of people every day. Fall edition of Bridges is a good one with some funny poignant stories of surviving cancer. It’s amazing how self-absorbed people are. One woman told her friend about her diagnosis, pain. Friend was upset because it ruined her day! Happens a lot I’m sure.

Transition day. New career, back to work, school. For some. Yay.

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Love’s Labour

Rained out of CW boat visit in Greenport, Amagansett redux. Not beach weather. Cajoled Ben to venture north. Wonderful photos, stories from Romania. Look forward to his take on Patrick McGuinness’ Last Hundred Days. This Man Booker long-lister tells the story of the fall of Communism in Romania 1989. It depicts the end of Ceausescu’s reign of brutality along side his evil wife Elena.

DeMint Tea steeped at Forum in South Carolina, a chilling brew of GOP candidates’ policies. K9Queen spent Labor Day weekend embracing cherished St. Helena haunts. Terra bar, Market, Meadowood. Napa pre-crush. Gorgeous. Jealous. Djok and Serena, no love surprises. Did Rory see Caroline’s win?

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Comity Act

It’s not funny. Courtesy. Respect. Gone from the political landscape. Social media as well. Has America sunk so low that interrupting a football game is the primary topic of consternation? Not the dysfunction and rude discourse of our leaders.

Either way, this better be one damned good speech. Petty run-up raises the stakes. It’s about jobs, right? Calling FDR. Where are you? Oratory with teeth. Congressional Comity Central? Doubt it. We’ll see Thursday.

We lost Ellis, king of comity, a year ago today.