A meeting of the minds

Another step toward what I call the reality-TV-ification of everything: today’s Donald Trump–Kanye West meeting. Here’s a transcript of some of what West said.

How glorious to have two proud non-readers of books in the Oval Office at the same time.

[Yes, Kanye West is on record as “a proud non-reader of books.” Donald Trump says that he reads “passages,” “areas,” “chapters.” Not books.]

The art of the deal

I noticed this Wall Street Journal story by chance: “Walmart Cuts Online Video Deals in Bid to Become Entertainment Hub.” And in the summary that follows: “First up is a remake of Mr. Mom.”

Our culture is in good hands.

Mystery actor

[Whoever he is, he’s making his screen debut.]

That’s Zohra Lampert in the background. She stars in this Orange Crate Art post. But who’s the guy? Leave your best guess in a comment. I’ll drop a hint if needed.

*

8:30 a.m.: No hint needed. This actor’s identity may be found in the comments.

More mystery actors (Collect the entire set!)
? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ?

Balzac: Orlando in a flat

Baron Montès de Montejanos is enraged. Carabine, courtesan, attempts to calm him:


Honoré de Balzac, Cousin Bette, trans. Kathleen Raine (New York: Modern Library, 2002).

I like Balzac’s aphoristic wit and his cultural commentary. But the people and plot of Cousin Bette — courtesans, libertines, and the maneuvering of property and sexual favors from person to person — are not my cup of coffee. Or cups, seeing as it’s Balzac.

Related reading
All OCA Balzac posts (Pinboard)

Got goat?

“Goats are noble creatures of great utility, and it’s time someone put some work into their PR”: the case for goat meat.

This post is for my son Ben, who, like me, likes goat. And this post’s title is my contribution to the PR.

Cachou Lajaunie

[Diameter: 1 13/16″.]

I bought this tiny tin of tiny candies years ago at a World Market. For the design, of course. The flavor of Cachou Lajaunie, as I discovered, is a combination of licorice and mint. Kinda ghastly — and I say that as a fan of that now-defunct old favorite Sen-Sen. But these cachous, created by Léon Lajaunie, a pharmacist, have a following. And a famously short television commercial.

Related reading
Cachou Lajaunie (Wikipedia, in French)
Cachou Lajaunie (In English, via Google Translate)

Balzac: courtesans and grammar

Célestin Crevel pays tribute to the courtesan Valérie Marneffe:


Honoré de Balzac, Cousin Bette, trans. Kathleen Raine (New York: Modern Library, 2002).

Related reading
All OCA Balzac posts (Pinboard)

How to register to vote

The New York Times covers it, state by state.

In Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas, today is the last day to register to vote in November elections. In Nevada, today is the last day to register by mail. In Missouri, tomorrow is the last day to register, period.

As the ACLU says, vote like your rights depend on it.

[There are complications and exceptions with registration procedures that I’m skipping here.]

Last Seen

A podcast series from WBUR and The Boston Globe: Last Seen, an examination of the still-unsolved theft of thirteen works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

I visited the Gardner Museum many times when I lived in Boston and have visited at least once since the 1990 theft. Visiting post-theft felt immensely sad and unsettling — almost like stepping into a murder scene. The empty frames where paintings once hung are reminders that a terrible crime against culture took place in this museum.

Hard-boiled Balzac

For a moment, I could have been reading Raymond Chandler:


Honoré de Balzac, Cousin Bette, trans. Kathleen Raine (New York: Modern Library, 2002).

Related reading
All OCA Balzac posts (Pinboard)