Cross Town Thoughts
Global warming? Balmy February in New York. Rowboats on the Lake. 
Bannon’s economic nationalism. Dismantling administrative state. Trump golfing with Els and McIlroy. The new abnormal.
Books are still normal. Just finished a good one. The Honeymoon, Dinitia Smith. A novel about literary icon George Eliot’s life and last honeymoon. Which was a doozy. See review here. Oscars. Ho-hum. This year.
A show within a show. Only it’s real. Press conferences. Bill signing photo opps. Dinners at Mar-a-Lago with world leaders. Couples lunch in the White House Blue Room with Bibi Netanyahu. Campaign-style rallies on a Saturday in Florida. Where are Jim Carrey and Scott Rudin when you need them? Keep the klieg lights on call. It’s going to be a surreal soap opera.
Almost as weird is FX new show Legion. Matthew Crawley meets Quentin Collins.
Outside our window no parked cars on the street. Block closed off. Quite an accomplishment. Booms. Cameras. Lights. Action! Yay. Blessed distractions on Election Day. 
The Only Living Boy in New York, Callum Turner & Cynthia Nixon.
SAGs. Golden Globes. Oscars. ‘Tis the Season for Depressing Gay Abused Stories Glorified. Children in Pain. No wonder Star Wars is so anticipated. El Trumpo? No. Trumbo. Haven’t watched Fargo, lots of noms. Winter binge idea. Ray only one? The Affair, too. These awards are lame. The Big Short is Carol’s game.
MadMen!? Seriously.
Political conversation this Thanksgiving a first. Family rarely let it all hang out. For many reasons. But, 2015 has given birth to new voices. Apolitical siblings are all Trump. Independent-minded moderates can’t find a Republican they like. Rubio a rube. Ted snarly. Bush lite. The usual moon bats prefer Bernie and don’t like Hillary much, but Supreme Court appointees brought everyone together. Bottom line. Hillary may pull it off.
Watched Amy Schumer’s Train Wreck. Hader and Swinton were great. Otherwise. Okay.
In Sports news. Joey3Sticks picks Denver over New England. Yes. You heard it here. Injuries over talent. But, hey. AFC. They are all girls anyway. Go Giants!
Oscars. Red Carpet. Publicists dressed like handlers at the Westminster Dog Show. Leading their pets around the ring. Not as many actors navigated the gauntlet this year. ABC didn’t ask who-are-you-wearing questions. E! gets sillier every year. Hope they’ll disappear. Neil Patrick Harris. Runner-up. Not as great as expected. Lady Gaga stole the night with her Sound of Music score. Hollywood’s narcissism reigned in the end with Birdman.
Switched to Downton. Perfect time to fast-forward back at the Academy Bores.
GOOD
FoxSports1- Reege Crowd Goes Wild
Game of Thrones– Red Wedding
Hotel Giraffe
Gramercy Tavern, Da Silvano
MadDad Photo Contest- Side Trek
Joey3Sticks- 50 Clambake
Book of Mormon, Motown
Fabritius’ Goldfinch at the Frick
BAD
Carnival (Ted) Cruz
Phippy wins British Open
Boston Marathon Djokers
Trayvon Martin jury
Carlos’ undangerous Weiner
When is a coup a coup d’état? When the military takes over a democratically elected head of state? Nah. We like Egypt’s moderate overthrow, so it’s no coup.
Was the rise up of the Confederacy a coup? Spielberg’s vision of Goodwin’s Lincoln, however you characterize the Civil War, was a failed operation. Kushner’s screenplay was either edited to oblivion, or it was just bad. Tommy Lee Jones was better than Daniel Day Lewis. Sally Field funny. Not in a good way.
Speaking of French terms, Maureen Dowd’s Bonjour Tristesse column in today’s NYTimes is a sad commentary on what has become of France’s unique culture as a result of YERP-ization caused by the EU. Quel dommage.
Another film to be set in SideTrekFalls, our favorite tableau. The Judge, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, is rumored to start production in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts this summer. A drama/comedy.
Still haven’t seen Labor Day come to the screen yet. Jason Reitman’s movie set, starring Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet. Based on J.D. Salinger’s paramour’s book.
Dr.Husband’s Shelburne Falls header photo above.
King Abdullah of Jordan gives a controversially candid interview to Jeffrey Goldberg in April’s the Atlantic. As he trashes his neighbors’ response to the Arab Spring, Abdullah pines for his days at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. He has even built a school in Jordan modeled on his happy boarding phase.
Spring edition of MSKCC’s Bridges newsletter compares cancer survivors’ resiliency and the long journey of recovery to the plight of Sandy victims.
New York Magazine’s cover RetroWife captures the current phenomenon. Women choosing to be the modern version of a 50’s wife. I get it. They were brought up by absent moms, the feminists who tried to have it all. It’s a nostalgic nod to June Cleaver and Donna Reed. The ideal misses the reality of women who stay home all day. Mother’s “little helpers” are also back in vogue.
I’ll say it again. Richard Engel’s spellbinding account of his kidnapping in Syria is a must read. VanityFair, April 2013.
Il Papa Francesco will celebrate Holy Thursday at a juvenile prison in Rome. He may be the real deal. Zeffirelli’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon comes to mind.
Side Trek . NYC 