Potpourri XVIII

Quote of the week: "I didn't find wisdom in the bottom of a glass; I found my reflection." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

On second thought "It isn't a lie if you believe it" - George Costanza.

In Antarctica right now there is a crack in a glacier that if/when it breaks off will be the size of Rhode Island and send the sea level a bit higher. At present at high tides there is sea water in the streets in parts of Miami. Later in the century we might find such lapping at the patio of Mar a Lago. I'm sure this is not what Marjorie Merriweather Post thought possible when she built the estate.
Today is Shrove Tuesday when Carnaval peaks and we gorge on doughnuts (Fasnacht Day) in advance of Lent. And if in New Orleans, Oh, those beignets!
tjs

A Manhattan Makeover

The venerable Waldorf Astoria Hotel will be closing this week for a three year renovation and modernization. Since built in 1931 she has housed presidents, celebrities and U.N. diplomats. Douglas MacArthur had an apartment there and Cole Porter's piano sat in the lobby. Followers are rushing for a last chance to stay at the famous hotel and a chap from Scotland said "financially, we are going home a little lighter." In late 1970s I was asked by our London office to shepherd a client and I picked him up at JFK and drove him into Manhattan - he was staying at the Waldorf. He thanked me and suggested a nightcap in the  bar. Subtly, he suggested no further need of my chaperone and as he appeared to be a man of the world I left him surrounded with the temptations of the night. He survived and the next morning was ready for business.
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/nyregion/end-of-era-looms-as-waldorf-astoria-prepares-for-hiatus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

Seeing Red

Flash! A bull got loose in residential Queens, N.Y. yesterday enroute to a slaughterhouse. He gave the police a "run" for their money until caught and sedated. Unfortunately, he gave up the ghost on his way to an animal recovery farm. Hopefully, they didn't cut off his ear similar to such fate in the bull ring. At U.S. Lines in the 1950s we were carrying cattle to Europe to replenish the herds. If a calf was born enroute we collected half fare. If we lost one in transit we had to produce the ear to collect our freight monies. But I don't think the crew had steak for dinner.
tjs

Potpourri XVII

Quotes of the week:

-Donald Trump's forthcoming visit to Britain has provoked considerable backlash in the U.K. A protesting Labour lawmaker was quoted "The intellectual capacity of the President is protozoan."
For us non-biologists Merriam dictionary describes a protozoa as "a tiny organism whose body is a single cell." The House of Commons can be hand-to-hand combat, believe me.

-John Daly, the colorful golfer, having reached the age of 50, is now eligible to compete on the Champions Tour. He continues to attract huge crowds and competitor Paul Goydos was quoted "More people watch him load his car than watch me shoot 66."
tjs

Sustainability

NY Times writes of the latest product under the green umbrella - a nontoxic vegan condom with the brand name"Sustain". Its acceptance in the market has been slow to catch on. Back in the heyday of U.S. Lines we had a customer that exported condoms and our sales rep called on them for their business. Their traffic manager was a woman and to put the visitor at ease she would throw some samples across the desk as an ice breaker. When our V.P. visited she had the chutzpah to ask if she could be married on one of our ships with the Captain officiating. Talk about quid pro quo! As a fictional followup there was the story of the condom manufacturer who received an order from Russia with extraordinary specifications in centimeters. As they were mulling over how to respond they called in the production manager to review. His opinion was "Fill the order as specified and stamp the cartons MEDIUM."
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/business/condoms-nontoxic-vegan-.html?ref=business&_r=0

Nary a Cross Word

The N.Y. Times crossword puzzle just celebrated 75 years beginning right after Pearl Harbor to give their readers a change of scenery. During that time they have had four editors - No. 3 being Eugene Maleska, an educator, opera lover and Latin reader but he must not have been a sports fan. This humble puzzled reader once caught him in an error. He used a famous L.A. Rams halfback - ELROY "Crazylegs"Hirsch as a clue but his answer was LEROY which threw off the rest of my attempts at solution. I never forgave him.
tjs

The Cat's Meow

"Why drink alone when you can drink with your pet?" reads the headline. There are pet wineries in California catering to cats with non-alcoholic drinks comprised of liquid catnip with coloring provided by organic beets. They have names such as Meow & Chandon, Purrgundy, Pinot Meow and CATbernet. One taster sipped, then groomed himself and got blissful. Another became very affectionate and took a long nap. (I can associate with the blissful one). I had recently written that cats are smarter than dogs and apparently some have an addiction to the grape. As the sommelier might say "Good nose, nice legs, great finish."
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/business/smallbusiness/wine-products-for-cats-and-dogs.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=10&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F02%2F15%2Fbusiness%2Fsmallbusiness%2Fwine-products-for-cats-and-dogs.html&eventName=Watching-article-click&_r=0

Droning On!

Dateline U.A.E. - Dubai plans drone taxis - passenger drones capable of carrying a single rider and a small suitcase - maximum 31 miles at an average 62 mph. on a single battery charge. Variously described as crafts or vessels they are autopiloted, directed and monitored via a command center. Beam me up, Scotty! Presume we will need an airborne traffic cop to explain the rules of the road. Feathered friends beware!
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/world/middleeast/dubai-passenger-drones.html?src=me&_r=0

Potpourri XVI

Quote of the week: Jeff Greenfield on Stephen Miller's abrasive rant on the Sunday talk shows: "It sounded better in the original German".

One third of Dutch prison cells sit empty and they are renting them out to Belgium and Norway as well as using them for asylum seekers. This while all our prisons are overcrowded.

Facebook reminds me I have a seven year anniversary - I was itching to tell you.

Happy Valentine's Day!
tjs

Build a Wall!

I heard that we might be planning a wall on our northern border - but the rumor isn't "Trudeau"! It isn't even an "alternate fact"! However, I did cancel my one way ticket to Toronto. But many refugees and immigrants are flooding into Canada - primarily Quebec but many are making the trek thru snowdrifts from Minnesota to Manitoba - if they can deal with Minnesota winters I guess they can handle Winnipeg in February. Coincidentally, the Canadian P.M. is visiting Washington this week - I hope he keeps his hand on the "loons" in his wallet. Stay tuned.
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/11/world/canada/trump-migrants-canada.html?src=me&_r=0

A Friendly Game

The Japanese Prime Minister is visiting and will be hosted at Mar a Lago for a few rounds of golf. The Japanese are avid golfers and I am reminded of the following story related by a former colleague stationed in Japan. He invited a few clients for a friendly foursome and figured he might have to play "customer" golf. But on the first tee one of his guests went over to my friend's golf bag to count his clubs. (Maximum allowable are fourteen) -Not a friendly walk in the park! Ouch!
tjs

What's ALE-ing You?

The craze for craft brewing and IPA ales continues as thirsty afficianados line up around the block in the cold January air in Brooklyn and other locations in order to secure this elixir and satisfy their desires. Some beer fans prefer not to wait, hiring professional line sitters so I can envision a new career for the blogger accompanied by a folding chair and a crossword puzzle, particularly if they have afternoon tastings.
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/06/dining/craft-breweries-lines-ale.html?src=me

A Dog's Life

To paraphrase Claude Rains, "I was shocked, shocked!" to read that veterinarians in New York City reported that they treat on average one dog per day for marijuana poisoning. The source may be a family member making brownies or otherwise secreting the pot. The effect is much more serious for the canine than for a human. They also say that cats won't touch it as they are smarter than dogs.
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/nyregion/marijuana-dogs-weed.html?_r=0

Gone Fishing

There's phishing - and then there's fishing - the old fashioned kind which is currently being practiced in the Bronx. The gear includes a plastic bottle covered with glue and string which is lowered into those corner mailboxes to "fish" out the mail you sent to your landlord or your utility bills after which the perpetrators cash the checks. In the age of cybercrime this practice ducks under the radar to the tune of 150 arrests in the Bronx alone. The caution is don't use the drop after the last pickup or on weekends. Just don't get reeled in!
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/nyregion/new-york-ny-mailbox-theft.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront

The Artful Dodger

Dateline Paris, France: A suspect accused of stealing valued art from a city museum was bragging to the court of the ease of doing so. It recalled the story of similar thieves who broke into the Louvre and escaped but several kilometers down the road their vehicle ran out of petrol. In questioning them the authorities were curious how a well planned operation could overlook such a detail. The reply was "Monsieur, we did not have enough MONET to buy DEGAS to make the VAN GOGH." And, yes, I have DE GAULLE to tell that story again.
tjs
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/30/spider-man-burglar-on-trial-over-100m-paris-art-theft

Fake News

When the market would routinely state that wheat, oats and barley were up and pork bellies were down I didn't pay much attention. But now I read where the "bellies" are really down as the U.S.D.A reports that inventory is at its lowest point in half a century provoking cries of a bacon shortage as prices rise. But not to worry, the experts tell us "there's plenty of hogs coming." We gotta do something about this Fake News - please pass the bacon!
tjs

Furry Friends

Alert! Ollie the bobcat, a 25 pound feline, is missing from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. She is no threat to humans but suggest keep your pets indoors for now. News of Ollie seems to be upstaging and foreshadowing that weather man Punxsutawney Phil who speaking of "shadowing", if he sees his today and scurries back into his bunker, we may have six more weeks of winter. Forget the Farmers Almanac - Phil is the man!
tjs

Ransomware

The latest group to get hacked are hotels with electronic door keys. An Austrian hotel booked full with 180 guests & skiers received a ransom note via email asking for modest monies but insisting on Bitcoin which is difficult to trace. The management is considering returning to old fashioned door locks and real keys used when the hotel opened 111 years ago. Bitcoin? Dad used to tell me "Don't take any wooden nickels!"
tjs