BA’s top 10 weird news items – Momofuku edition
As a service to my readers, I’m providing a weekly review of items which didn’t make Slate’s radar scope. All this week’s items come from today’s (10/16) Wall Street Journal . . .
10– Momofuku – No, this isn’t an urban greeting. It’s a restaurant where they serve an entire boar’s head. Who would eat something like that? People in Manhattan, of course. Bonus factor – it’s seared with a blowtorch, so you won’t get any boar-y bristles caught in your teeth when you tuck into a pig’s ear or snout. (Page W1). Does a restaurant concept like this prove that American cuisine has finally arrived? Or does it confirm the French attitude that we are beyond redemption? Personally, I’d pay extra just to use the blowtorch, if they allow tableside cooking though.
9 – Karma Chameleon Redux – If I told you that Bollywood (India’s Hollywood) makes about 5X as many films as the rest of the world combined, you’d probably say you read that somewhere before. Now it turns out that Bollywood is spawning a “cover the earth” Indian comic book industry too. (Page W6). I mean, what 40 year old geek living in his mom’s basement WOULDN’T want to own the complete set of “Goddess Devi” graphic novels, including the coveted “edition om”? Bonus factor – one of the movers and shakers in this art for the artless movement is Deepak Chopra’s son “Gotham” (he was named after Batman’s hometown, in case you don’t get the connection). Isn’t it nice to know that the TV swami who almost became our Surgeon General named his kid after a comic book? It’s karma, I tell you.
8 – You’d have to be crazy to live there – The USA may lead the world in lawyers (per capita) but when it comes to psychiatrists, Argentina has more than any other nation. How many do they have? 5X as many (per capita) as the US, and twice as many as perennially depressed Denmark (Page A1). What do THEY have to be depressed about in Argentina? Shouldn’t they be over the Falkland war defeat by now? It can’t be because Argentina is ruled by closet socialists, can it? Geez – maybe psychoanalysis will be America’s next big growth industry then. Will Obamacare provide 100% coverage for being told all our problems just in our minds?
7 – There is a specter haunting Europe – affordable, fuel efficient cars. The European Union is deciding whether or not to “normalize” trade with South Korea. The argument against normalization? Hyundai Elantras might be more competitive with Fiats if they were freed of crushing tariffs, leading to the kind of euro auto job losses the US endured. (Page A 8). But before you shout “good for them” (the eurotrash protectionists) ask yourself if you would be happy paying thousands more for the affordable Japanese or Korean kommuter kar you drive now. Isn’t a Honda Prius expensive enough already for you? And did you know that by 2012 Hyundai says it will be making more hybrids than any other auto manufacturer? European car tariffs begin to look like something that also increases auto based carbon emissions. A two-fer !
6 – Afghan Whigs - a military strategy proudly made in Detroit – If someone asked you to guess who holds the key to troop increases (or retreat) in Afghanistan, I bet the LAST name you’d think of is Carl Levin, democratic senator from Michigan. Yeah – that Carl Levin, whose tireless advocacy resulted in Detroit building heavy metal SUVs until Americans couldn’t stand them any more. Turns out he’s chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and wants to do for Afghanistan what he did for GM. And he’s the gatekeeper to the additional troops the Pentagon wants (Page A6). Disclaimer – BA never served in the military in any capacity, and is agnostic about whether more and more US troops will actually prevent Taliban fighters from sneaking unnoticed into every tiny Afghan village and hamlet while our backs our turned. But Levin never served in the military in any capacity either. Is this the guy YOU’D pick to second guess the Pentagon, or President Obama? Me neither.
5 – Wasn’t the internet supposed to fix this? – Since 2003 the number of “direct mail merchandise catalogs” (think LLBean and Land’s Derriere) has more than doubled, while the order rate from those catalogs dropped from 8% to 2%. (Page A13). Just a thought here, but maybe people have finally caught on that most catalogue stuff is overpriced, unnecessary crap, and that free shipping doesn’t make it any better? One can only hope.
4 – Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice . . . um, I’m okay with THAT too – No cost of living benefit increase for Social Security recipients this year. The cost of living actually went down (fuel, housing, food – all declining vs. 2008). That should be good news for the anemic social security trust fund, which is already paying out more than it takes in, courtesy of the recession. But whoa – Obama wants to give every senior citizen an extra $250 check next year (an election year coincidentally I’m sure) just to be nice. The money won’t come from the social security system though – it’ll be a general expense ($13 billion) and immediately increase the Federal deficit by that amount. (Page A18). I don’t want to be a killjoy, but what’s the use of having rules if we’re going to ignore them the first time they work in favor of the beleaguered taxpayer? This is why I doubt all those claims about federalized healthcare too. Does anyone really believe that Obama or Congress won’t start writing “extra” checks to people (in election years) once Obamacare becomes law? You don’t believe that would happen? God bless you, for your innocent and pure heart!
3 – Where the wild things are: Buffalo – Disgruntled Buffalo Bills fans have shelled $1,800 out of pocket to diss their team on a billboard on interstate 190. (Page W5) Didn’t we just have 2 years of litigation over someone making an unflattering documentary film about Hillary? It’s nice to know we protect our loser politicians better than our loser professional football teams. Or maybe it’s scarier, actually?
2 – Slowhand slept here – More proof (if any were needed) that the recession isn’t over. Eric Clapton is willing to rent you his 45 acre Antigua estate, for your next vacation. The best part? It’s only $50,000 a week! (Page W10). Hey – it’s a bargain, I’m telling you. Only $300 dollar an hour. Elliot Spitzer’s hookers charge more than that, and I bet they don’t look half as nice.
1 – I’m with Obama on this one – Hate Ticketmaster? Me too – and Obama has your back. The Obama administration is making it all but impossible for Ticketmaster to take over Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter. (Page B1). The only thing worse than this deal being approved would be “stub hub” getting thrown into the deal too, as a freebie. It’s enough to make you scream “Momofuku”!! No wonder Eric Clapton is singing the blues, and putting his Antigua love nest up for rent.
