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Home Front: Culture Wars
NYT pines for the swell parties at Iranian Embassy
2007-11-28
In which the Times puts on its best fixed frozen smile and hazmat gear to tour the Costco by the Pentagon, while waxing nostalgic about all the great parties back when civilized folk ran things:
Entertaining in Washington has gone decidedly casual. No one has stepped in to duplicate Pamela Harriman’s or Katharine Graham’s elegant soirees, and the Iranian Embassy, which once served free-flowing Champagne and caviar, is long shuttered. “There used to be so many black-tie dinners at private homes,” said Buffy Cafritz, an honorary Kennedy Center trustee who also is known in Washington hostess circles.
Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end.
“Now everything is so much more informal, and we serve meatloaf instead of beef Wellington.”
Good times, good times.
(For the record, Mrs. Cafritz said she had never used Costco herself, but might get there before the holiday season ended. “I have a weakness for apple pie,” she said. “I’ve heard their apple pie is delicious.”)
Go read the rest, you know you want to.
Posted by:Seafarious

#7  In which the Times puts on its best fixed frozen smile

Nah, the frozen smile is cause of this:

New York Times cut to sell at Banc of America Securities

UPDATE - New York Times freezes hiring, cuts jobs-memo

Posted by: DMFD   2007-11-28 17:59  

#6  "he is indeed real and " a regular at the Rantburg O Club.
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-11-28 16:20  

#5  Don't know where the punchline to the monk story went, but the beginning reminded me of this guy:

Dyess AFB gained popularity between the years 1999 - 2002, commonly referred to as the "Jeff St.George Era". To this day airman are intrigued by tales of shenanigans, boozing, and womanizing that often accompanied the former airman. In fact, he is such a prestigious part of the bases history that current airman, retirees, and civil service workers have written a screenplay based upon stories and experiences. Production started in Summer of 2007 and is expected to be released via Mirimax Pictures in Fall of 2008. Rumored to be in the movie are Jessica Alba, Elisha Cuthbert, and Flavor Flav.

Many believe that Jeff St.George is strictly a fictional character and is a product of adolescent airman folklore fantasies. A research of base records has indicated that he is indeed real and living in Columbus, OH.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2007-11-28 10:56  

#4  Mike: I was inspired by the tale of a troublesome but brilliant Buddhist monk, who belonged to a very formal and prim monastery. They hated his bad behavior, which often involved him in town with prostitutes, fighting, and getting drunk and arrested, before the passed out monk being unceremoniously dumped at the gates of the monastery by the authorities.

But he was so popular and brought in so much money to the monastery that they couldn't clamp down on him, so he continued to embarrass the heck out of them for many years.

Finally, in his old age, he asked his students to figure out some way for him to die that had never been done before. He ended up dying while standing on his head, a unique way in their annals.

The monastery leaders were thrilled that he would never again be a problem, and invited every dignitary in the region for a grand send-off. They dressed in all their finery and prepared an elaborate ritual.

The late monk, however, had other ideas. His students prepared his body, dressed in the fine robes he had always hated. And when the great funerary rituals had begun, with all the noble lords and ladies in attendance, much to everyone's surprise they discovered that on his orders, his students had filled his ornate garments with fireworks.

When they lit his funeral pyre.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-11-28 10:42  

#3  Funny that the people who miss the lavish parties at the iranian embassy are the same ones who agitated so loudly for the sacking of the shah, and by extension most of the trouble that has come to pass since. Phony hypocrite bastard assholes...
Posted by: M. Murcek   2007-11-28 10:42  

#2  "Your mom picks out your first suit; your survivors pick out your last one. In between itÂ’s up to you. Shame to waste the opportunity."

--James Lileks
Posted by: Mike   2007-11-28 09:26  

#1  Against the backdrop of an unpopular war, rising oil prices and a subprime mortgage crisis, a certain thriftiness seems to have crept into the cityÂ’s dining rooms.

So it is all about Bush!
Posted by: Bobby   2007-11-28 06:24  

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