Barbs and arrows are flying in France pre-election. It will be close. And Marine Le Pen could disrupt the EU beyond repair. She is set to write a chapter worthy of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Exploiting her native land’s intrinsic jingoism. The most chauvinist of all European countries. Where nationalism has always been a way of life. As Brexit and Trumpxit have prevailed, Frexit could be the final blow to Yerp as we know it.
Global Pragmatism
Trump Doctrine? Global Pragmatism. Make deals. With Russia to help combat terrorism in return for a softer ouster of the House of Assad. Also allowing Putin to push boundaries in his own backyard. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson leverages Exxon-Mobil relationships to get key players around the table. Was strident Syria stand-off a ploy to divert attention from potential election collusion? To pave the way for a nouveau détente. Probably. And with China. Financial and trade deals in exchange for help with Syria and North Korea.
Of course. Trump could derail his own doctrine in a minute. In reaction to a perceived slight. With an errant press conference remark. Or a tweet.
Masked Ball
Masking. Unmasking. It’s a dangerous dance. A waltz of so-called classified leaks on both sides of the floor. CNN’s national security guy Jim Sciutto worked in Obama’s White House. His former ABC colleague was none other than Susan Rice’s husband. Hmm. Wonder where Sciutto gets his “inside info” on alleged Russia connections. It’s a CNN obsession.
Meanwhile. Korea. Syria. China.
Femmes Fatales
Women. Murder. And such. The Feud had promise. Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford. Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis. But. Acting so bad. Not campy bad. Just bad. Couldn’t get through the first episode. Big Little Lies. Nicole Kidman. Reese Witherspoon. Ditto. Derived from a typically insipid Liane Moriarty book. Girls. Lena Dunham’s best season yet.
Little Deaths, a murder mystery novel by Emma Flint. A Brit who has been obsessed with crime stories since she was a girl. An okay read with with a bit of a feminist agenda. Baileys Prize Longlist. Used to be Orange Prize. Both sponsors have since ditched. Why a segregated genre for women authors? Lots of women winners of Man Booker. Good writing is good.
3 Ring Circus
On one side of the big top, Gorsuch patiently endures as Senators pontificate. Then when it’s his turn he decides to lean back to hug his wife. What?! Over on the other end of the tent, Sean Spicer looks ready to hurl the podium in Melissa McCarthy style as reporters laugh at his lame attempt to tap dance. In the center ring, master Comey is in full control. He reveals an investigation into Trump world’s possible collusion with Russia to tilt the campaign.
Will the whole show go the way of Ringling Brothers?
Comedy v. Comity
Bi-partisan comedy shows. Rachel Maddow. Judge Napolitano. Very little comity to go around. Colleen columnist Peggy Noonan calls for reaching across the aisle in today’s WSJ. It’d be a nice change. From farcical hyperbole to creative cooperation. Green beer and shamrocks notwithstanding. Won’t happen.
What’s funnier than Carol Colitti Levine celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?! Irish eyes are smiling, Mom!
Route 66
A sixties television show. An old blogger. An interstate highway. A long and winding road. Leads me back to NYC. And a new/used mAdBen iPhone 6. At least it works. So do I after all these years. Mostly. Dr. Husband preparing a fine dinner. Black Cod. Yum! Happy day.
Exaggerate Gate
Watergate was then. In retrospect not that great. Of a scandal. But. Everything now is constant press overreach. Russia-gate. Comey-gate. Server-gate. Benghazi-gate. News-cycle silly-gates galore. Woodward & Bernstein sit on panels recalling glory days of yore. Investigative reporters straining to break the next bombshell. Exaggerate non-stories hoping one will stick. Sad!
Dealin’ Don
The Art of the Deal. Taking it to the limits of all decorum and propriety. Scaring the country to distraction with wacky tweets and ridiculous rhetoric. Moving at light speed through Executive Orders with veiled threats. Then. The Don comes out in front of Congress with surprising sanity. Can it be believed? Maybe. Democrats will be so relieved not to have mass deportations or sick people dumped in the streets, they will have no choice but to compromise.
Hope springs… A nice couple from Louisiana gave us Mardi Gras beads in Central Park yesterday. So. As they say. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Gold is the New Black
Oscars 2017 ended in a shocking screw-up. Timberlake set an upbeat tone. Jimmy Kimmel hit perfect balance of topical and funny. Gold to Black in a big way. Ali. O.J. Academy Prez. Viola. Legend. Moonlight. Screenplay. Gay, too. Woo hoo.
White on rice. Ah. The irony. Meryl Streep the victim of “fake news”. Charlize Theron wins couture class. Emma Stone in Givenchy. Then. Best Picture. Not crazy. Faye said La La. What? Not. Moonlight. What? Accountant tweeting error. Yup. The new abnormal.
Side Trek . NYC 