Goodbye Haifa, Hello Broadway

Can * nois * seur ( kan' us sur' ), n. One competent to render critical judgement on the qualities and merits of cannabis

"The most amazing property of cannabis is its ability to fog the minds of those who do not use it."



HEADS UP: Sparc, San Francisco's newest and brightest MM dispensary, located at 1256 Mission Street is holding a few dynamite outdoor strains at down to earth prices. Most notable is their Sour Diesel at $50 per quarter ( that's 1/4) or $175 the entire Z. Its slick package boasts
a 19.4 % THC content and it delivers as advertised. Sweet, well-cured, with a nice burn, this full-budded Sativa, starts building from jump street and keeps going skyward from there. Both active and contemplative, with a long, easy arc--it lingers for a while after gently depositing you back on the planet.
And the price is equally friendly.



Goodbye Haifa, Hello Broadway


Passover at our Tel Aviv hotel proved to be an eye-opener. The management assigned us to a dining table screened off from the rest of the room by potted palms on three sides. (One side open to allow the waiter to slip us some food.) All this was cool with us since we were trying to stay under the radar which was difficult, considering Lady M was a striking blond, and i was long haired and deeply tanned. Still, we managed to keep to ourselves until the second night. While we were taking a short walk, a white-haired woman literally popped out from behind a bush.
"Shhh," she said, "You're not Jewish, don't tell anybody, I'm not Jewish too."
Turns out the lady owned the hotel, having taken over when her Jewish husband died. But by law in Israel, (1965), a non Jewish person couldn't own own a hotel, and if the widow was found out, she would lose the property.
Why did she tell us? Ask Dostoevsky. Obviously she had a need to tell someone, and we were
far enough outside her circle to safely confess. However, as a naive American i assumed Israel was the land of freedom, justice, and we are all in this together, harvesting democracy. Travel is a great enlightener. ( As of this day, only 17% of Americans have passports)
Tel Aviv itself was a surprisingly bustling city, reminiscent of New York, with a constant hustle at its core. After months on an island, and touring mostly mellow, third world villages, the big city beat was both overwhelming and infectious. From there we went to Haifa to meet our ship, and we saw a kinder, gentler Israel. A seaside community with surrounding orchards, the pace was cool and groovy ( "in the parlance of the time") A few days on the beach and then aboard ship for a three-day cruise to Naples. Customs in Italy are always casual, and we were off to Roma on the rapidissimo. A quick cappucino in the Eternal City and i was flying to Manhattan, to take care of business, and begin my new life...

Next: Man About Town

Recommended Viewing: Boardwalk Empire directed by Martin Scorcese HBOTV

(with a shout out to Spec4 James Butler US Infantry )