left field

Whatever you do, do not eat your slice with a knife and fork like Trump. Please.

When I did my Hunter's Ed in the Bronx, I sat beside a South African guy who was new to the US. He had done a documentary on the last tribe in Africa that used elephants as their primary food source. He later did a talk at the Explorer's Club and brought some of their bows - multiple sticks lashed together with about 100 lbs of pull. As I recall they used poison and it took some time for an elephant to die. Their lifestyle was phased out and some turned to poaching whereas others became game wardens.

There are some traditional pizza suggestions at the end of this very useful tourist guide to NYC.

It's the only way to fit all that food on the screen.

That's a good itinerary. If you're not up for sitting at Katz then you can grab a nosh to go at Russ and Daughters. Little Italy is very touristy these days. But if you like Italian food, stop at Di Palos - 100-year-old institution. High Line is great and moves you uptown surprisingly quickly. The Met is fantastic, though it will eat up an afternoon. I find some of the smaller museums more doable. Is traditional NY pizza on the list? There are a couple of old-school places in Manhattan (Lombardis, Patsy's) but you have the travel to the boroughs for the real good stuff. If you go to Grand Central (and you should) look up into the NW corner of the ceiling and you will see a small black rectangle. That was what the entire ceiling looked like from all the years of smoke until they cleaned and revealed it in the '90s.

I just assumed you were driving, so a larger suitcase would be easier. A water trip is cool. There are a few that go around the horn from the Hudson to the East River. But the SI ferry would also suffice and it is free. It's hard to get lost as it is a numbered grid. For reference - 20 street blocks is a mile. A map helps. Subways are mostly empty and clean. Taxis and Ubers easy. Times Square is cool for about 15 minutes, then it's just a pain in the ass. Pretty at night though. Bryant park is nice (and where Eataly is) and the walk down to Union Square is also worth doing. All the landmarks are interesting, but to me NYC is a city of neighbourhoods and that's where the magic is. I still love just walking around and popping into a local bar for a beer and burger. Probably key to get your mother's dream list and follow that.

I would look at this another way: it's your mother on her first and possibly only trip to NYC. Put on a nice jacket and tie, and take her out for a fancy dinner. Save the jeans for a slice in the village. Not sure if the Empire State or Rockefeller Center are open, but well worth a trip up. Staten Island Ferry for a view of the Statue of Liberty. (Do not get off on Staten Island.) Central Park, of course. Any other sites you need info for?

I don't want to throw out restaurant recommendations as that will limit you, unless you really want a destination place. It's hard to make a bad move regarding restaurants, as long as you stay away from the chains or Time's Square in general. The local places would love the business. Eataly is a good idea. NYC is a walking city, so prep your mother for that. If you have the time, it's best to taxi to an area: Village, Chinatown, Union Square; and just start walking. You'll find a restaurant that will appeal to you. If you have the time, I would grab a drink at the King Cole Bar at the St Regis. Nothing like a fancy NY hotel cocktail with your mom. (You may want to throw on a jacket for this.) From there, you can walk to Grand Central Terminal, which is worth seeing. Mask wearing is nearly at 100% on the streets. P.S. There is no Original Ray's.

How is no one posting excerpts from Boehner's book? This made me laugh out loud. Apparently Boehner would drink, record, then throw in an insult at Ted Cruz. WARNING - this has a dirty word at the end, so no kids or work.

That's a lot of blood.

Yeah, normally I write out a PH Forum letter and then substitute the word trout for sexy next-door neighbour.

I will admit that much of my early sex education came from reading PH Forum.

Fo that it needed, "Dear Penthouse Forum: I never thought this would happen to me...

Guilty.

Interesting you say that - I think it's very applicable to instinctive shooting. It's not surprising to hear that focussing on your target helps aim, but it's astounding how much your eyes travel around while aiming.

Hmmm... I still have a few of these left over form when I was a lonely guy.

This was fascinating. A guide does his master thesis on tracking the eye movement of master fly casters and how much locking your eyes onto your target matters. Starts at around 0:20 and ends at 1:10 https://anchoredoutdoors.com/anchored-podcast-ep-180-josh-nugent-on-the-visual-characteristics-of-expert-fly-casters/ Based on the guide's advice, Tim Rajeff turned out two perfect scores at a competition.

This is something very different than walking down a stream. It sounds like situation for the local police.

Are they walking through or partying? Camping? Why do they have tarps?

I don't think there's anyone who doesn't side with the fellow. I'm happy for him that he kept his cool. I'm reminded of the guy whose vehicle was attacked by the roving asshole bikers in NYC. He accelerated out of danger, ran over a couple of bikes and paralyzed one of the bikers. They ran him down, pulled him from the truck and beat him. He wasn't charged. They were. It sucks, but maybe it was safer for the cops to secure the fellow's weapon and get him out of there than engaging the mob.

In the old days, politicians used to start wars to distract from their personal issues, so I guess this is progress.

There are a few non-political threads every so often.

There should be a required course to use a chainsaw as they are dangerous as hell. Anecdotally, last year at this time in the big panic I stopped off at a gun shop upstate. This is a sleepy little shop where I'm usually the only customer. It was filled with people lining up to buy guns. Many first timers. There was one woman who held a shotgun and asked her boyfriend, "Is this a good one? Will it stop someone." A guy and I at the end of the line looked at each other and left. Kind of wish she had to take a course or two. I'm not sure what the effect of increasing penalties will have on shootings. If criminals don't adhere to gun laws now, why would they under the threat of more severe repercussions?

Hamilton, ON but 30 years ago. Been a long crazy journey since then.

It's mostly the Quebec city/political people that are rude. Country folk are lovely. You go to Quebec for the food, cultural experience and the strippers.