The Duke Ellington Martini

My dream restaurant would sit its patrons ankle-deep in the blue waters of the Caribbean, one hundred yards or so from the beach. It would serve lamb short ribs à la Nick & Sam's, rigatoni with butter and salt, crisp and buttery green beans with almonds, Carta Blanca beer and Breyer's ice cream. Despite its geography there would be no seafood on the menu. In spite of what they say no one really likes seafood, with the possible exception of fried oysters.

It would be named The Duke Ellington Martini, which, yes, would be the signature drink, even though I don't like martinis. But enough folks do like them that I imagine I am missing something.

The restaurant and reception area, necessarily on dry land, would hang pictures of diners with crabs and fish at their ankles. And no bathing suits! Patrons may leave their shoes behind and roll up their pant legs, but the dress code will otherwise be strict and strictly enforced.

As promised, Milton Friedman wrote, "With respect to education, I pointed out that government was playing three major roles: (1) legislating compulsory schooling, (2) financing schooling, (3) administering schools. I concluded that there was some justification for compulsory schooling and the financing of schooling."

My first point of contention with Friedman's work: a philosophical basis for breaking any public or private function into independent line items seems unsupportable.