Category: International Affairs

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Sunday Times

Seems Maureen Dowd and I see eye to eye. Charles Blow, too. Scary old faces have come out of the woodwork to assist Netanyahu in bullying us into a war with Iran. Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Cheney’s poising to pull MarionetteMitt’s strings as soon as he’s in the White House. If Romney wins, we will go to war. That’s one way to create jobs. Deficit, shmeficit. Same ramp-up speak that got us into Iraq.

Meanwhile, Hillary reaches for Obama’s hand as they mourn the four lost at the consulate in Libya. Muslim extremists rising up. Michael Lewis‘ piece, “Obama’s Way” in Vanity Fair is a revelational window into the President’s decision-making. Fascinating. Comforting. Our choice has never been clearer.

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Drag On

Year of the water dragon. Black. Volatile. Strong. Will a fiery year ensue? Obama calls for unity once again, still an appealing theme. His personality is what differentiates him from Zzzomney and the Grinch as Repub debates drag on. Madden-esque mud fest at Candlestick. Could’ve gone either way in OT. Sloppy defensive slog. Brady lucky he didn’t go into OT, slithering into another SB. Neither win felt triumphant. Grandson with dog collar ad hilarious.

Books Page. The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton- Elizabeth Speller. World War I, its human toll depicted at Easton Manor, as with Downton Abbey this season. Nostalgic nod to Elaine’s from forgotten photo archives.

Recipe Detours. Alison’s roasted asparagus with pan sautéed hake. Finally fun to cook again. Distractions from Grinch and Zzzomney. But hey, Obama can sing.

The State of Our Union depends on the State of the European Union in the coming year. Davos discussions by that 1% will make it clear.

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Yerp Out

Back in the early 90’s when there was talk of a European Union forming with one currency, I was a naysayer. I could not imagine countries with centuries of distinct cultures, languages, economic roots ever agreeing on anything as one entity. An article in The Economist, entitled ‘Yerp’ caught my attention at the time. It was a kindred cynical satirical view using the American tourist term for the continent. “We’re heading off to ‘Yerp’ for vacation in August.” As if Europe were just one big happy country. Never thought it could actually become so.

Wrong. The EU formed in 1998 with the Euro its common currency. However, as Paul Krugman says today, maybe we were right.

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Shook Up

 Shakin’ all over the East Coast. Romanian travelers settled into Sibiu without a Cluj. Far-reaching quake centered in Virginia caused panic in Poughkeepsie. San Franciscan survivors of the ‘big one’ unimpressed.

Not that long ago, Trump was offering to put Gadhafi’s tent on his golf course in Westchester. Who are the bad guys? The so-called “Arab Spring” will not bring democracies. Chaotic tribal hodgepodges, theocracies, freshly minted despots will emerge. Follow the money.

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SnoWarren

Year of the Rabbit. Livin’ it. Happy Chinese New Year! And Thailand, too. Got dug out too late to make pie. Who was first on line at 3am for new Verizon i-Phone? That’s online. Classes today, don’t forget.

Poor Anderson got clocked. Journalists being rounded up. Scary. How long before Glenn Beck confabulates that Mubarak and Barack are secret half-brothers plotting to take over the world? Jordanian King should shed his Eaglebrook, Deerfield roots and get with his peeps before it’s too late there. Gonna be a bumpy ride.

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Weekend Treks – Imagine

John Lennon was my Beatle. We all had our own. Missy liked Paul, or was it George. Cindy Erb played Ringo. But, mine was always John. He was dark, moody, poetic, even in 1964 when I was 14. My father was freaked out when the family sat in front of the telly on that Sunday night watching Ed Sullivan’s Show. I screamed like no silly ‘tween has done since, even for a Jonas Bro. It was orgasmic in an innocent way. If that’s possible, but it was. Camelot had just been shattered by bullets; soon after that, MLK and RFK were gunned down, and finally John. We went through a hellish violence in our childhoods, decades of turbulent times. Love is all you need and no more war. Vietnam, not Iraq or Afghanistan. Have we learned anything. No. Gathering at Strawberry Fields in Central Park tomorrow, John’s would-be 70th birthday, hard to believe.