Swiftly flow the days

It’s that time of year when we take stock of things, ruminate over our failures and celebrate our successes. It’s that time of year when we look back on entire year and wonder “What the hell was that?”

Yes, it’s true, at least it is according to my favorite pundits, naysayers, barber and local hot dog vendor, that 2023 was one tough year—although I would argue that it was more weird than tough. That’s because pleasure can be found in weirdness. There’s nothing to find in toughness other than pain.

Sometimes the two do overlap. For instance, it looks like tomorrow—the first day of 2024 if you’re keeping track of such things—the weather in southwest Montana might push up into the fifties. That’s warm for almost any time of year up here in the greater Yellowstone tourist-zone and it feels damn nice. The downside is that it’s the fault of the Republicans who believe that the more we drill, drill, drill, the warmer it will get. Somewhere in that mix is the overlap. If it gets warmer, more people will want to live here and Ron DeSantis might parlay his neo-Nazism into a run for governor. If it gets a lot warmer, the Pacific Ocean will soon be lapping at the base of the Glacier National Park.

DeSantis would fit in because he is typically shown wearing black cowboy boots. The 5’11” candidate for president reportedly wears lifts to appear closer in height to his 6’3” opponent. Why this matters is interesting because the two aren’t ever seen sharing a stage in this campaign.  

Speaking of failures, “The Big Flop” is a podcast that tells the stories of how bad ideas become a reality—no matter for how long. It’s kind of a cross between “The Shark Tank” and the 1962 New York Mets (40-120).

The Economist, a London-based weekly publication, has decided that Susanne Sundfory deserves wider recognition via its end-of-the-year wrap up. Ms. Sundfory is a Norwegian singer-songwriter whose current release is “Blomi,” a decidedly suggestive title that might mean something else in the Norse language.

And then there’s a surge of interest in Irish folk music.

“A particular idea of Ireland’s traditional music is fixed in the global imagination,” says The Economist. “You may have seen it play out in The Banshees of Inisherin, an Oscar-nominated film: as locals quaff Guinness, beaming men and women play lightning-fast reels on fiddles and bodhráns in the firelit snug of a cozy pub.”

Missed the movie, but I remember one night at a pub in Loughrea, Ireland. Everybody sang, there were fiddles and guitars, and it was well after hours. The police would knock on the door every now and again, asking who was “in it.” A raucous reply of “nobody” sufficed every time for the local garda.

Looking back on 2023, we still have a war in Ukraine that we could have ended shortly after Russia invaded the country nearly two years ago. I’m not sure there was anything we, as a nation, could have done to remedy the war Hamas waged against Israel some three months ago. It is a tragic situation and why we side with Benjamin Netanyahu is anybody’s guess. He’s a thug who will never work to establish a two-state solution with Palestine.

But what is really important is that Taylor Swift has tipped her support staff nearly $50 million. Even with a staff of more than 7,000 or so, the tip is wildly generous. Everybody seems to love her and her music. The fact that she is dating Travis Kelce, an NFL superstar, is helping to make most of America fans of the Kansas City Chiefs.

My liking the Chiefs is because quarterback Patrick Mahomes is a great player. I like his playing and his sideline behavior. He seems a gentleman.

Here’s an idea: Get Ms. Swift and Mahomes into serious discussions to negotiate an end to the war in the Middle East. We could do worse.

The end of the year begs for each of us to compose a Top Ten list in various areas. I can do that.

I haven’t seen a movie in an actual theater in more than ten years. Maybe. But I try to keep up on what’s coming out of Hollywood. When I read Killers of the Flower Moon, I saw great potential for a movie. At almost four hours, I chose not to go. The same with Oppenheimer. I knew the outcome and didn’t need four hours to be reminded of it. None of my music friends liked Maestro. I’ll take their word for it and save the price of admission.

The Boys in the Boat showed some film promise, but the reviews have been less than kind. I did like the book, however.

I don’t have a current list of recordings. But my all-time top ten list features Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue” (1959) and John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” (1960) in the top two spots. Some things will never change.

I have two top book recommendations for 2023: Killers of the Flower Moon and The Boys in the Boat.

As the Chairman once pointed out: It was a very good year.

Photo illustration by Courtney A. Liska

Cioppino

This easy-to-make dish got its start in San Francisco, made by the immigrant Italian fishermen’s wives from the day’s catch. But its beginnings can be traced to Italy, where every fishing village has its own version. Unlike its French cousin, bouillabaisse, there are no strict rules for its creation.

• 4-5 lbs. mixed fresh fish fillets and shellfish, such as sole, cod, monkfish, sea bass, prawns, clams, mussels, squid or scallops
• 8 Tbs. olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus an extra clove for the toast
• 2 14-oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 4 oz. red wine
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh chili
• 3 Tbs. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6-8 slices good bread, slightly stale or toasted

Clean and prepare your chosen fish and shellfish. Cut fish fillets into large chunks.

Put the oil, onion and garlic into a large pot and fry briefly. Add the tomatoes, wine, chili, parsley and fennel seeds and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes. Start adding the large pieces of fish to the sauce first. Then add the more tender fish such as sole and the shellfish, ending with the mussels and clams. Cook for five or so minutes, or until the fish is cooked and the mussels and clams have opened.

Rub the bread with garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and put each slice in the bottom of a deep soup bowl. Ladle the soup and serve.