Evening of the Yo-yos
            

            Frank:

            You are too generous about my Prudie credentials, but judging from the New
Hampshire debate (tonight's being a few hours away) I thought they were all
displaying manners up the ying-yang, to the point of ... well, being mannered.
Do manners matter in politics? I'm afraid not, though if one were to cross the
line in an extremely obvious way, negative reaction might bubble up--but not
necessarily because the guy appeared to be rude but because he would appear to
be desperate. When it comes to the authenticity quotient, I--being older, if
not wiser--have pretty much written that off. All of them, Democrats and
Republicans, are so cautious about image that whatever "real" characteristics
seep out they serve as kind of personality tea leaves. Bradley is probably the
most "authentic," and even he's had a little coaching.

            Since I know you have a little time to kill before you go to work tonight,
I've rustled up the news equivalent of junk food to give you sustenance for the
upcoming Evening of the Yo-yos. Stuever in the Washington Post has a
dishy piece on the Kennedy Center Honors, backstage, if you will. This
interested me because a former husband (not one of the Jews) was on the
Artists' Committee, and I always enjoyed the event. En passant I read
that the former Ritz Carlton (nee the Fairfax) has been rechristened the Westin
Fairfax. This interested me because a former husband (one of the Jews) used to
own it. Also of interest was our president recalling his visit to the Parthenon
(owned by no one I was married to) wondering what our civilization's
monument would be. I'm guessing a 40-story black beret.

            There are big doings in the divorce arena. The daughter of Faith Whittlesley
(Reagan chum and twice ambassador to Switzerland) is divorcing a Rockefeller
relly named O'Neill. Putting aside that the once happy couple might do well to
reside with the attendant from whom Alan Keyes escaped, the big frou-fra is
that heretofore secret Rockefeller Trust details may wind up in a Florida
court! And speaking of money, another Florida couple has bought the $100,000
millennium package at the Boston Ritz Carlton. (Nope, never married to him.)
The wife said, looking forward to New Year's Eve afternoon, "I'll be drinking
champagne all day." Well, I'm crossing my fingers that the dear girl is awake
when it's time for dinner. She has also requested "Gilbert and Sullivan
entertainment." Wouldn't you think for that kind of money they could get
Gilbert and Sullivan? In any case, I am not mentioning the name of this couple
so the United Way people won't waylay them on their way to dinner.

            And here's a great nugget: A "supermodel" was tear-gassed by a taxi driver
driven crazy by the constant ringing of her cell phone. I'm with the mad macer
on the phone deal, but the real question is what was a supermodel doing in a
cab? I mean, I'm only a potential Oil of Olay model, and I wouldn't be caught
dead in one. But onward. Lucianne and her dot-com are all het up about people
dissing the Baby Jesus. She says Hillary called him homeless, then Al Sharpton
said he was unemployed. Which makes for a nice segue to my thought that you and
I should perhaps cool our ethnic references. It is conceivable that we could
incite people in sheets to march on 
                  Slate
               's offices, which, while
not actually in Seattle are close enough ... and I know for a fact that the
riot squads there are pooped. Well, maybe just one more latke. And do check
your shoes for scorpions.

            xxM.