DECEMBER 25 2007 UPDATE
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Amagnificent French Christmas card from the Alsace region. Click on the photograph.
Thanks to ASA Lorrie.
A PARISIAN CHRISTMAS
New York City at Christmas is awesome, from the decorations at Macy’s in Herald Square to Rockefeller Center to midnight Mass at St Patrick’s. Long ago, Jackson Square in New Orleans was a contender for “fabulous Christmas.” Union Square in San
Francisco, with its gaily festooned shops down every street, is a delight. My favorite will always be Paris. The awesome splendor of Notre Dame, where a Cardinal born a Jew presided over midnight Mass and Jessie Norman sang the Messiah in a most memorable Christmas season; the brilliant lights lining the Champs Elysses from Place Concorde to the arc de triomphe, somber majesty of le tour Eiffel, the splendor of the shops along Fauborg give Paris a special insouciance. Dining during the holidays at Maxims, or looking over the rooftops of Paris from your table at La Tour D’Argent, eating profiterole in La Belle Epoque, driving two hours to Vien for the seven-course lunch at Les Pyramides, a champagne brunch at the Intercontinental, arguing politics seated at the special table by the window at Brasserie Lipp, a favorite bistro on the Left Bank. We were a constantly evolving group over the years, in and out of Paris as careers demanded; young professionals who worked hard – and played harder because the lessons of life were equally harsh. Some had endured the student riots, the bombings by Algerian separatists and Red Brigade, all were tempered but in different ways by Viet Nam. We were eyewitnesses to the several stages of creating the European Union. Many nights after the International Herald Tribune had gone to press, we would abandon the California bar and regroup at the grand apartment owned by editor Buddy Weiss, the best raconteur in the group; we argued the great political issues of the day, especially the Middle East. In winter, we might show up at Grindlwald, Lausanne, Garmisch; rent a villa, and spend four or five nights trying to outdo each other by cooking fabulous dinners. Every other Christmas I would bake a seven-tier chocolate cake, decorated like a French hat box with ribbons of white vanilla; (at one State Dept party, a secretary took a bite and proclaimed it was better than her last orgasm, which brought hearty laughter from Secretary of State Schultz who she did not know was standing behind her.) Some years a group would attend the Gran Prix at Monte Carlo, the last true Formula 1 road race; we paid the tariff like moguls and gambled in the back rooms of the casino. Cannes film festival? Naturallmente. Staying of course at the historic Colombe d’Or (Inn of the Golden Dove) in St Paul du Vence, where you rubbed elbows with the stars dining on a terrace where the inner wall was painted by Pablo Picasso in exchange for room and board. The best boullibaise: the waterfront in Nice. We knew the restaurant in Rouen where Napoleon dined on tournedos Halder, as of course we did. There was a memorable champagne breakfast one New Year’s Day at the Palm Court in the Plaza, the long nightmare of Viet Nam had ended on the Embassy roof and we could question what if anything was gained which was worth the sacrifice. We appreciated art, whether it was the Giacometti’s at Vence, Rembrandt’s Night Watch in Amsterdam, the minutely and painstakingly restored Pergamon museum in Berlin. The new wines were an occasion for comparison, the new Michelin rankings a cause for dining with gusto. Cultural snobs? No. We were a group of journalists, diplomats, spies, international cops, a few playboys and girls in play. Well educated, highly intelligent, we matured politically behind Jack Kennedy’s banner, savored oh so briefly Bobby’s candidacy as we did Martin’s legacy -- and learned from them that life holds no promises – so we too pushed our careers to the maximum, forever changed by the tumultuous 60’s, and savored all that was best in life, knowing that we marched against an unknown timetable. Twenty years later, we were still coming to Paris, Berlin, London and other world capitals, with more of us having experiences in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Africa and the Middle East, but, Paris in the 90’s was separated by more than just a generational gap from the Paris of the 70’s, when the sexual revolution was in full swing. Some things never change; the France of today is a Catholic country where Christmas is celebrated with meaning, and without confusion; Protestantism flowered in France and Germany, and there has always been a rich Jewish culture in Paris. Intelligence like political thought is still celebrated, by liberals, conservatives and radicals who populate the same watering holes where we held sway. What has changed is the status of my generation. Once we thought there were rational solutions to all human problems, and we sought to be on the field of play. Now, most of us are on the sidelines, and the world is still at war; poverty, disease and illiteracy are rampant in many parts of the world; our technological advances are ruining our environment; there are too many places where a child cannot drink potable water. The young Turks of the 60’s are in the September of their years, yet, we still believe in the single phenomenon which makes this holiday so unique – the quest for peace – and, we still believe peace is possible. As Jack said, the torch has passed to a new generation, as it once did to us. In retrospect, we like to think that our generation did our part to keep that torch burning. Pax vobiscum. RFH
THE OPPORTUNITY COSTS OF TEEN BIRTHS
An opportunity cost can be expressed as options foregone, even foreclosed. Money may give a Jamie Lynn Spears a few advantages as a teen mother (common sense can’t be bought) but for the majority of teenage girls having babies, the opportunity costs are the end of youth, probably foregone educational opportunity, upheaval in social life (and possibly social stigma), and, over-riding all other aspects, the awesome responsibility of motherhood for which few, if any, are prepared. Far from being a role model, which many sociologists and psychologists (the TV talking heads) are warning against, some of our ballplayers whom I have encountered over Christmas not only talk about what a girl gives up by becoming a teenage mother, but, in this day of a plethora of preventive methods, they say getting pregnant is just plain stupid. To be sure, the best birth control device is abstinence, always good for a lecture or two. But, parents are on more solid ground when they talk about life – lifestyle and life opportunities. A generation or so back, this may have been heresy but the fact is that some women are just not suited to be mothers, at any age, and a wise parent can engage a daughter in a conversation about the changing roles of a parent as a child grows from cute and cuddly infant to a demanding challenge with individual needs which must be met – in harmony with the mother. All of these equations change exponentially if there is no father. We have many single mothers in our population today, any number of whom have never been married, and not just a few who decided that the impregnator was in fact not someone with whom they wanted to share the rest of their life. A daughter may not be willing to commit to abstinence, but is she willing to commit to the possible consequences? There are many lessons to be learned from the Spears – almost all of them negative. They should not be envied, or lauded, notwithstanding their daily appearances in the tabloids and on TV. Indeed, Jamie’s show should be cancelled; she’s gone from being adored to abhorred. From her interviews, she has no clue about where she wants to be in ten years, and certainly no clue about raising a child along whatever path she takes. Perhaps her money will buy her a wise nanny to guide she and the child, but most teens don’t have that option. They have to answer the question: are you prepared at 16,17,18 or even younger to be a mother and give a child all the opportunities you want for yourself?
COMMITMENTS
Samantha Maltese, ' 08, SS, Scottsdale Storm has committed to Benedictine University in Illinois.
Morgan Nandin ’09 SS, TC Tremors, Verbaled to Syracuse
15 MINUTES OF FAME IN 2007 (AOL) (where are they now?)
They briefly took our minds off Iraq, Iran, Bush, Congress, sports
A YouTube rant about Britney Spears' awards show meltdown made Chris Crocker a 15-minute phenom. His "Leave Britney Alone!" video spawned countless parodies and led to a reality show deal.
Judge Larry Seidlin was ringmaster of the legal circus that followed Anna Nicole Smith's death. He even choked back tears as he ruled on custody of her body. He's retired now and is reportedly working on a TV show deal.
Ellen's on-air tears made this puppy famous. A rescue group took back Iggy because DeGeneres had given the dog to her hairdresser, violating adoption rules. Iggy is in a new home and will do pet adoption TV spots.
Video of Andrew Meyer being zapped ran millions of times on TV and the Web. "Don't tase me, bro" became a hot catchphrase. Officials decided neither the Florida student nor the campus cops would be charged.
Roy Pearson lost his job as a DC administrative law judge after losing a $54 million lawsuit over a missing pair of pants. The cleaners he sued, Jin and Soo Chung, sold their shop because of the financial and emotional toll.
Sanjaya Malakar demonstrated more flair for hairstyles than song stylings, but made it to seventh place on "American Idol." He did the show's summer concert tour and won the Teen Choice Award for best reality TV star.
Trouble inherited $12 million when Leona Helmsley died in August. The billionaire's brother refused her request to take the poor little rich dog. At last report, the Helmsley staff was caring for Trouble.
Sen. Larry Craig chose the men's room stall next to Sgt. Dave Karsnia. The rest is history. After a round of interviews about his biggest bust, the cop went back to work. He remains on duty at the Minneapolis airport.
Wesley Autrey jumped onto Manhattan subway tracks and saved a fallen man's life in January. The construction worker got cash, gifts, awards and TV appearances. In November, he and his lawyer settled a dispute over money.
Security cameras caught the "Barbie Bandits" smiling as they robbed a Georgia bank. Two days later, cops caught Heather Johnston and Ashley Miller. Johnston, right, pleaded guilty. Miller and two co-defendants await trial.
Caitlin Upton gave a cringeworthy, incomprehensible response to a question during the Miss Teen USA pageant. The South Carolina contestant got a do-over on the 'Today' show and a contract with the Trump modeling agency.