Would you buy a cheesesteak from this Pakistani guy? [Is he smiling? Can’t tell.] He’s a chef named Mazar Hussain. I would. Have to go to Pakistan though. D’oh!
In the Fall of 2021, Hussain met a man from Philly who introduced him to the cheesesteak. He opened a shop and they are selling like, well, cheesesteaks, i.e., very well. They are not exactly like the ones you’d get at Pat’s or Tony Luke’s in Philly — they’re infused with local spices — but they are essentially the same. They are served on paper plates and go for the Pakistani equivalent of about two bucks. This one looks droolingly eatible, and there’s the shop on the left; it’s above a hair saloon.
Owl Chatter was down in Philly a few weeks ago and we had good ones at Woodrow’s Sandwiches on South Street. I did some research online to find it. They were excellent. Good scene too. BYOB.
There was much disgruntlement about an answer in today’s puzzle. The clue was “Put on a pedestal,” and the answer was HEROIZE. It does seem like a botched version of LIONIZE, but it’s a legit word in the dictionary. The “OI” just makes it clunky. Here’s a note from LMS:
I just found out that two of my students – freshman boys with ankle monitors – go home every day and are the primary caregivers for their younger siblings (4 each!) while their mothers work the night shift. The ages of their charges range from 9 months to 4 years. I was stunned. One of them changes diapers, and they both give baths. And they weren’t whining about it – it is what it is. Had this been my lot at age 15, I would have been a big, complaining baby. I asked them if they ever read them books, and Quintrez said once he had read them The Cat in the Hat, but that was it. So I went to a Goodwill-type place yesterday and got some children’s books to give them. I dunno – they may not use them, but who knows…. Whatever the case, I’m officially HEROIZING Ja’Quiontis and Quintrez. I tell ya, I’m humbled every day at that school.
A term that was new to me was SIN BINS: “Penalty boxes, in hockey lingo.”
Egsforbreakfast noted: It seems like SINBINS could also be slang for confessional booths. Now that I think about it, they should station a priest in the hockey penalty box to hear the sins of the players. “Forgive me father, for I have cross checked.” “In 2 minutes, you may go take the ice in peace.”
Also learned about the DIABOLO today — “a string and spool toy.” It’s related to the yo-yo. Here’s a champ at it:
“Tony winning musical with puppets” was AVENUE Q. Anne Harada played the character Christmas Eve in it, a heavily accented Japanese therapist. She’s the only actress who was in both the original London and Bdwy casts.
Here’s today’s Tiny Love Story, by Jane Fennell from the NYT:
The neurological examination was over. Alan had done better than expected, remembering two of the three words (“pencil” and “watch”) and the incumbent president’s name. As the doctor wrote his prescriptions, I stood by my very tired and stressed 88-year-old husband of 40 years. Answering questions puts a strain on him. He knows his memory is failing. Later, I asked if he remembered the three words. He looked at me blankly, then nodded. I said, “What were they?” Quietly, and with such sincerity, he looked into my face and said, “I love you.”
The Wellington Files 