• A lot is going on in the world, particularly vis-a-vis the USG.
• But I walked most of it off in NYC this weekend.
• I’ll take you around for a little tour before we engage with the real news.

Good morning on this fine Monday in NYC!

The last thing I want is for you to think the Rude is an unserious publication… that it’s just a bit of frippery with your morning coffee.

Joke Biden just bribed Turkey to get them to vote Sweden into NATO. That pisses me off.

Again, Biden mobilizing troops in an escalation to a failing Ukraine offensive is offensive in and of itself.

And the BRICS/Gold situation is starting to get commented on from all over the place.

Those will be Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, and Thursday’s Rudes.

But since my little travelogues in the past have gotten such positive feedback, I started to write one this weekend and want to get it in front of you first.

So let me take you around The City before we get to more serious subjects later in the week.

Where Am I?

I’m staying in the Midtown Hilton this year. Rather than Downtown, Midtown doesn’t feel like it’s a rat’s nest. It’s thriving, really, and I was surprised to see that.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is just across Sixth Avenue from my hotel. I hadn’t been to the new one yet - though it’s not so new anymore - and I wanted to see one of the Picasso paintings they exhibit.

A Stroll Down 5th Avenue

I decided to keep going for now and turn down Fifth Avenue. I can't tell you how nice Fifth Avenue looks. I took a picture of St. Patrick’s Cathedral because it looks so wonderful.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral; Credit: Sean Ring

There’s something great about strolling around the big city on a Friday when everybody else is working.

I noticed the Barnes & Noble across the street and had to pop in. I love searching for books.

Funnily enough, I was looking for the books Byron King recommended while we were in Jekyll Island, The Forgotten Depression and The Panic of 1907. Unfortunately, they were out of stock.

But I picked up a book called Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza. Sure, it may be a bit of “woo woo,” but maybe there’s a clue.

I went upstairs to the second floor to sit at the Starbucks. They have one inside the Barnes & Noble. Barnes & Noble’s are better than libraries and have tastier coffee.

As I found myself in front of the New York City Public Library, I decided to walk around it. Much to my undisguised glee, Le Pain Quotidien is on that block.

Le Pain Quotidien (“The Daily Bread” in French) is one of my favorite bakeries.

When Micah was a baby, Pam and I frequently visited the LPQ in Pacific Place Mall in Hong Kong. The staff was always so sweet to us. Though we loved that, the food was what really made us go back.

I devoured a Chicken Cobb Salad and washed it down with grapefruit juice. It was fab. (I’d return Thursday for their outstanding almond croissants and coffee.)

After finishing up at LPQ, I headed back to MoMA.

MoMA Mia!

I finally got into MoMA and saw Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Picasso.

It’s a painting I wrote a paper about after I got dragged into my fine arts requirement at Villanova. When I first saw the painting in the mid-90s, it looked enormous. I couldn’t believe how big it was.

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is a famous painting created by Pablo Picasso in 1907. It’s considered a groundbreaking and influential work of art that marked a significant departure from traditional artistic conventions and played a crucial role in the development of Cubism.

More on Cubism in a bit.

The painting depicts five female figures in a brothel in the red-light Barcelona district known as Avignon Street (Carrer d’Avinyó). The figures are presented in a highly abstract and fragmented manner, showcasing the influence of African and Iberian art on Picasso's style during that period.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso, on the wall at MoMA; Credit: Sean Ring

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is notable for its radical reinterpretation of the human form. Picasso broke away from traditional notions of beauty and idealized representations, depicting the raw and primal aspects of human sexuality.

In other words, he made the hookers ugly—especially the one on the lower right. I don’t fancy yours much!

Unsurprisingly, the painting shocked and confused the artsy-fartsy when it was first exhibited due to its departure from established artistic conventions. It challenged the notion of perspective, presented a fractured composition, and rejected the idea of a single fixed viewpoint.

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is one of the most important works in developing Cubism and modern art. It paved the way for further experimentation with form, space, and multiple perspectives, influencing subsequent generations of artists and reshaping art history.

After 30 years, it hasn’t overwhelmed me in the same way. And thanks to living in Italy, its classical art completely spoils me.

Now, to Cubism. Cubism is the nonsense that Picasso and Georges Braque invented to shock people in the early 20th century. It’s not meant to be beautiful, and it isn’t.

It’s characterized by depicting objects from multiple viewpoints, using geometric forms, fragmented shapes, and flattened perspectives.

Artists sought to represent the subject matter more abstractly and analytically, breaking it down into basic geometric shapes such as cubes, cylinders, and cones. This approach allowed them to simultaneously represent different facets and perspectives of an object within a single artwork.

Honestly, I think most of it is ugly as all hell.

Good Christian art tends to illuminate and uplift us. Modern art is meant to punch us in the face to make sure we’re still alive.

A Final Stop on Saturday

I consider myself a bibliophile. I still don’t know how I missed it for nearly a half-century.

I’m utterly embarrassed to say it. But on Saturday, I took my first steps into the Strand Book Store on the corner of Broadway and 12 Street.

It’s simply the most incredible bookstore I’ve ever been to. I’m not sure I’d have been able to leave the New York metro area in 1999 had I known about it.

Inside the Strand Book Store; Credit: Sean Ring

You can buy books. You can sell books. It’s cavernous. There are leather-bound editions. Old Folio Society and Easton Press books.

I was in heaven.

Most people bring empty suitcases to NYC to stuff them with new clothes for the return journey.

I’m bringing one to stuff with books from this store.

The Last Stop

Last night I ate dinner with my good friend and teaching colleague, The Monsignor.

The restaurant was a random choice, as he was returning from Mass, and I was walking from my hotel.

Next time you’re in New York and fancy proper American cuisine in a cozy American restaurant, try P.J. Clarke’s.

Credit: P.J. Clarke’s

Sometimes a burger and a beer are just what the doctor ordered. And the prices weren’t outrageous, either. I highly recommend the Clarke’s burger. I put bleu cheese on it instead of ketchup. What a treat!

Wrap Up

Ok, tomorrow I’ll get back to the fundamental topics of the day. 

Think Joke Biden gave up some F-16s for Turkey’s acquiescence?

Find out tomorrow.

In the meantime, have a great day!