that’s so mean

Tahdig (tah-deeg) is the favorite part of any Iranian meal.

Basically the rice at the bottom dries out to a buttery crunch while the rice at the top steams in butter and water vapor. Boil well-washed basmati about 10 minutes, until it is parboiled.

Beat two raw eggs and about a cup of yogurt.

Get some saffron. Real Saffron.

With lots of salt and pepper. Blend all that in, too.

Now load the rice into the eggy yogurt and mix it all together.

Melt some butter.

Put the rice mix into the butter and turn the heat way down.

More butter on top.

Close it up with a towel for a gasket to keep the steam in.

Very, very low for 45-60 minutes.

Now flip it out on to a serving plate.

And garnish with edible flowers.

Crunchy, buttery rice. This stuff rocks.

Turn to Stone

A great live performance of ELO's hit from 1977, 

all in under four minutes. 

You know you want to.

street pizza

The Beresford

Emery Roth was a Hungarian architect and another reason

 why America needs immigration. 

He was an extremely talented guy.

Eldorado, wiki

He designed the fancy twin-tower residences all along Central Cark West.

SanRemo, wiki

But some of his work hasn’t fared so well.

He also designed this little building featuring a wildly ornate cornice of art nouveau sheetmetal.

Built in 1903, creamy brick and carved stone maidenheads wrap just three little stories in midtown.

Inland Architect magazine said:

Roth wisely beveled the corner to let in more sunlight.

All while suffering the current indignity of crappy pizza.

Have a good weekend!

context is everything

paying jobs are so yesterday

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2086662/chinese-firm-cuts-costs-hiring-army-robots-sort-out-200000

the view from economy class

My instincts were with United this past week, 

and it turns out I am far from alone.

I wrote of the consequences of unreasonably cheap air fare in 2010.

http://clocktowertenants.com/2010/11/homedepotization-of-our-airlines.html

Flying costs a fraction now and overselling is part of the dangerously low prices we demand.

The airlines have lost money every year since 1981.

Hundreds of passengers on that United flight, dozens of other flights waiting and the passengers the next morning from Louisville were all depending on our cooperation for this democratic system to work.

A passenger refusing to deplane is in violation and no business should have to bribe a customer to follow federal regulation.

When it’s your turn to get off the plane, don’t be a dick. 

Get off the plane.

from our Aruba correspondent

smar

draws what you try to draw

RIP O'Brien

Glenn O’Brien

http://coveteur.com/2016/12/05/glenn-obrien/

http://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/1621/glenn-obrien

just ouch

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Billabong-Soho

all the best for Passover

Don’t miss out on your unleavened bread, 

lots of wine

 and bitter herbs! 

Happy and Healthy Holiday 

from ClockTowerTenants.com.

angel under contract doing grueling one night stands

Jerry Seinfeld once said of nightclub Catch a Rising Star

 “It just smelled like show business in there.”

Indeed. I remember.

In the late 1970’s I did the lighting, managed and designed sound for a Catch tour with Pat Benatar and Richard Belzer doing stand up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Belzer

Joe Piscopo, Robin Williams and David Brenner we’re all part of that tour at different times. We were out for a year and a half all over the country.

My best pal was the pianist, Rodney Hausen. 

We bunked together in the hotels. He drank my scotch. Rod was insanely talented. I just learned he died some years ago.

This is a very rare sound recording of Pat and Rod in the studio doing a Roy Orbison classic about 1978. 

It was our usual, pre-show sound check and I've heard it live hundreds of times. 

You should hear it at least once.

Take a moment and listen to one of the best pop female voices of the era as you have never heard her before.

No pop star sings like this anymore. RIP Rod.