MEDIA MONDAY / POLITICAL CARTOON / THE NEW MARCH MADNESS

 

SUNDAY REVIEW / ART DECO CENTURY / ERTE

Symphony in Black, Erte, 1983

Romain de Tirtoff, better known by his pseudonym Erté (the French pronunciation of his initials "R.T."), was a Russian-born French artist and designer who became one of the most iconic figures of the Art Deco era. 

Born in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Erté defied his aristocratic family's expectations by moving to Paris and pursuing a career in fashion and the arts. Erté’s signature style—elegant, elongated figures, lavish costumes, stylized geometry, and theatrical flair—defined much of the visual language of the 1920s and 1930s. 

He worked across multiple disciplines: fashion illustration, set and costume design, graphic arts, and even sculpture and jewelry. His illustrations graced over 200 covers of Harper’s Bazaar, captivating readers with a blend of sophistication and fantasy. More than just decorative, Erté's work embodied the very essence of the Art Deco movement: luxury, glamour, modernity, and a deep fascination with form and style. 

His influence extended into Hollywood, Broadway, and haute couture, and his legacy helped keep the Art Deco aesthetic alive well into the late 20th century revival. In short, Erté didn’t just contribute to the Art Deco century—he helped define it. 

Romain moved to Paris at 14 and enrolled at the Academie Julien to pursue fashion and stage design. At this time he also changed his name to Erte, which was the French phonetic pronunciation of his initials. In 1913, he landed his first job with the leading French designer, Paul Poiret. His design style was heavily influenced by the elaborate and glamorous costumes and sets of the Parisian Music Halls and this would become his signature 'look'. His fashion illustrations graced the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and most notably, Harper's Bazaar, for which he produced over 200 covers and other artwork. Erté's illustrations ooze sophistication and glamour and are synonymous with the Art Deco aesthetic - streamlined, geometric, highly stylized, boldly coloured and ultra-cool. He designed numerous costumes and sets for the famous Folies-Bergere in Paris and The Ziegfeld Follies in New York, as well as for the opera La boheme, and the epic film Ben-Hur. When Art Deco fell out of favour in the 1940s and 1950s, so did Erté's designs. However, with the renewed interest in all things Deco in the 1960s he began what biographers refer to as a 'second career'.

During this 'renaissance' period (which lasted right until his death in 1990), he created visually stunning fashion serigraphs and bronze sculptures - all in the traditional Art Deco style. His 1982 serigraph, "Symphony in Black", is instantly recognizable and visually captures the essence of Art Deco style.

COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / EN ROUTE TO DAMN FINE CUP IN COFFEE HEAVEN

Anyone who's ever experienced the late David Lynch's bizarrely surreal TV series, "Twin Peaks," will recall the show's protagonist, FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), and his extreme obsession for a damn fine cup of coffee. That particular character trait is apparently one that Lynch lifted from himself, given that he's also a serious coffee aficionado. Pictured: David, 78, moved to coffee heaven earlier this year. RIP. 

FASTBALL FRIDAY / BABEBALL

 Women are reclaiming their place in baseball 

GUEST BLOG / By Callie Maddox, Associate Professor of Sport Leadership and Management, Miami University via The Conversation.com--For most baseball fans, hope springs eternal on Opening Day. 

Many of those fans – more than you might think – are women. A 2024 survey found that women made up 39% of those who attended or watched Major League Baseball games, and franchises have taken notice. 

The Philadelphia Phillies offer behind-the-scenes tours and clinics for their female fans, while the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees offer fantasy camps that are geared to women. 

The number of women working professionally in baseball has also grown. Kim Ng made history in 2020 when she became the first woman general manager of an MLB team, the Miami Marlins. As of 2023, women made up 30% of central office professional staff and 27% of team senior administration jobs. In addition, 43 women held coaching and managerial jobs across the major and minor league levels – a 95% increase in just two years. 

As a fan and scholar of the game, I’m happy to see more women watching baseball and working in the industry. But it still nags at me that the girls and women who play baseball don’t get much recognition, particularly in the U.S. Women take the field In the U.S., baseball is seen as a sport for boys and men. Girls and women, on the other hand, are supposed to play softball, which uses a bigger ball and has a smaller field. It wasn’t always this way. 

Women have been playing baseball in the U.S. since at least the 1860s. 

At women’s colleges such as Smith and Vassar, students organized baseball teams as early as 1866. The first professional women’s baseball team was known as the Dolly Vardens, a team of Black players formed in Philadelphia in 1867. 

Barnstorming teams, known as Bloomer Girls, traveled across the country to play against men’s teams from the 1890s to the 1930s, providing the players with independence and the means to make a living. 

 

Mary "Binnie" Baker played catcher for the All American Girls
Baseball League on the South Bend team. Photo: Wallace Kirkland. 

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, founded by Philip K. Wrigley in 1943, also offered women the chance to play professionally. 

The league, which inspired the 1992 film “A League of Their Own,” enforced rigid norms of femininity expected at the time. Players were required to wear skirts and makeup while playing and were fined if they engaged in any behavior deemed “unladylike.” 

Teams were open only to white women and light-skinned Latinas. Black women were not allowed to play, a policy that reflected the segregation of the Jim Crow era. Three Black women – Connie Morgan, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson and Toni Stone – did play in the otherwise male Negro Leagues in the early 1950s. 

However, their skills were often downplayed by claims that they’d been signed to generate ticket sales and boost interest in the struggling league. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954, and by the late-1950s women’s participation in baseball had dwindled. 

Girls funneled into softball Softball was invented in Chicago in 1887 as an indoor alternative to baseball. Originally aimed at both men and women, it eventually became the accepted sport for girls and women due to its smaller field, larger ball and underhand pitching style – aspects deemed suitable for the supposedly weaker and more delicate female body. 

The passage of Title IX in 1972 further pushed the popularization of fast-pitch softball, as participation in high school and college increased markedly. In 1974, the National Organization for Women filed a lawsuit against Little League Baseball because the league’s charter excluded girls from playing. 

The lawsuit was successful, and girls were permitted to join teams. In response, Little League created Little League Softball as a way to funnel girls into softball instead of baseball. As political scientist Jennifer Ring has pointed out, this decision reinforced the gendered division of each sport and “cemented the post-Title IX segregated masculinity of baseball.” 

Girls can still play baseball, but most are encouraged to eventually switch to softball if they want to pursue college scholarships. If they want to keep playing baseball, they have to constantly confront stubborn cultural beliefs and assumptions that they should be playing softball instead. 

A global game: Ayami Sato is a woman baseball star in Japan. 

You might be surprised to learn that the U.S. fields a national women’s baseball team that competes in the Women’s Baseball World Cup. But they receive scant media attention and remain unknown to most baseball fans.

In a 2019 article published in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, I argued that the U.S. has experienced inconsistent success on the global stage because of a lack of infrastructure, limited resources and persistent gendered assumptions that hamper the development of women’s baseball. 

Other countries such as Japan, Canada and Australia have established solid pathways that allow girls and women to pursue baseball from the youth level through high school and beyond. That being said, opportunities for girls to play baseball are increasing in the U.S. thanks to the efforts of organizations such as Baseball for All and DC Girls Baseball. 

Approximately 1,300 girls play high school baseball, and a handful of young women play on men’s college baseball teams each year. In recent years, numerous women’s collegiate club baseball teams have been established; there’s even an annual tournament to crown a national champion. 

MLB recently appointed Veronica Alvarez as its first girls baseball ambassador, who will oversee development programs such as the Trailblazers Series and the Elite Development Invitational. A new documentary film, “See Her Be Her,” is touring the country to celebrate the growth of women’s baseball and raise awareness of the challenges these athletes face. 

Perhaps most significantly, the Women’s Pro Baseball League announced that it is planning to start play in summer 2026 with six teams located in the northeastern U.S. More than 500 players from 11 countries have registered with the league, with a scouting camp and player draft scheduled for later this year. 

Should the league have success, it will mark a revitalization of women’s professional baseball in the U.S., a nod to the rich history of the women’s game and a commitment to securing opportunities for the girls and women who continue to defy cultural norms to play the game they love. 

AMERICANA / PLAY BALL CHARLEY BROWN

SAN DIEGO PADRES 

OPENING DAY MARCH 27 

VS. ATLANTA BRAVES 

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STARTS TOMORROW; SO DOES THE OH BOY, OHTANI WORLD TOUR

 

OHTANI IN SAN DIEGO: June 9-11; August 22-24 in 2025

RETRO FILES / FIRST U.S. MADE AUTO AFTER WWII

POPULAR MODEL(S). Life Magazine was fascinated by the 1949 Ford as dealerships were hard pressed to keep up with consumer demand. Of course, Life added its own accessories that may or may not have sparked sales for Ford's biggest year ever outpacing the debuts of Thunderbird and Mustang. 

When Ford rolled out its 1949 model, it wasn’t just unveiling a new car—it was unveiling a new era. The first all-new American automobile design after World War II, the 1949 Ford broke from the boxy prewar styling and announced, with confidence, that the future had arrived. Its “Shoebox” design—sleek, slab-sided, and streamlined—marked a dramatic departure from the past. 

Gone were the old pontoon fenders; in came integrated body lines and a lower, wider stance that made the car look ready to glide rather than chug. It was clean, modern, and instantly iconic. 

Under the hood, buyers could choose between a dependable 226-cubic-inch inline six or the now-legendary flathead V8—an engine that had already won the hearts of hot-rodders coast to coast. The car wasn’t just good-looking; it had guts. Inside, Ford introduced comfort and simplicity in equal measure. It was an everyman’s car—priced accessibly, yet boasting quality appointments that made postwar families feel like they were finally stepping into something optimistic. 

YANKEE MADE. Created by famed automobile designer of his era, George Walker, the new "envelope" design with sleek styling made this car immensely popular in the post-war era, so much so that Detroit based automaker ended up selling 1.12 million 1949 Fords. It turned out to be one of the most popular Fords ever made. 

But perhaps most important, the ’49 Ford gave the company its groove back after shaky war years and leadership transitions. It saved Ford Motor Company from irrelevance and restored its place in the American driveway. 

Today, the 1949 Ford stands not only as a collector’s gem, but as a turning point in design—a symbol of mid-century renewal, where form finally began to follow the thrilling promise of motion. 

BIG GEORGE. Time Magazine put famed Ford VIP designer George Walker on the cover in front of an illustration of the 1958 Edsel (not his greatest moment) But he did go down in car history for his contributions to the design of the 1949 Ford and 1955 Thunderbird. 

From Driveway to Drag Strip 

The 1949 Ford didn’t just change American driveways—it revved its way straight into the bloodstream of car culture. Almost overnight, it became a favorite among hot rodders and customizers, thanks to its clean lines, affordable price, and easily modifiable engine bay. 

Known affectionately in enthusiast circles as the “Shoebox Ford,” its slab-sided body was a blank canvas for creativity. Chop the top, shave the handles, drop it low, and you had a custom cruiser that turned heads from Santa Monica to Coney Island. 

Its flathead V8—already legendary before 1949—became the powerplant of choice for drag racers and weekend tinkerers alike. With a few simple mods, it roared to life with surprising speed. 

On the pop culture front, the ’49 Ford made cameo appearances in mid-century music, movies, and even pulp novels. James Dean-era rebels and sock-hop sweethearts alike saw it as the symbol of youthful freedom and suburban swagger. 

By the mid-1950s, the customized ’49 Ford had become shorthand for cool. Even today, you’ll find restored and customized examples gliding across car shows and vintage film sets—still wearing their original lines, still making a statement. The ’49 Ford wasn’t just a car. It was—and still is—a rite of passage, a rebel’s badge, and a rolling testament to postwar ingenuity (and cheesecake photography). 

 

 

MEDIA MONDAY / CONAN 'S BOFFO RETURN TO HOST OSCARS

TAPPING IN TUX. Conan O’Brien hosted the 97th Academy Awards, a nearly four-hour-long ceremony where even he got to do a number. Photography by Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times 

Speaking of movies, Conan O'Brien has been chosen again to host next year's Academy Awards, just a couple of weeks after hosting the Oscars for the first time. O'Brien earned solid reviews for his hosting duties, and the Oscars on ABC drew its highest TV ratings in five years with 19.7 million viewers. 

O'Brien said in a statement, "The only reason I'm hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech." (Brody set a record for longest acceptance speech ever - just over five minutes - after winning the Best Actor award.) 

--From Media Tidbits by Tom Jones, Senior Media Writer, The Poynter Report. 

SUNDAY REVIEW / OCTOBER 1964: DAVID HALBERSTAM'S CLASSIC BASEBALL EPIC

UNSTOPABLE. Bob Gibson unfurled his imposing delivery to Game 2 of the 1964 World Series, in which his Cardinals defeated the Yankees in seven games. Photo by Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustrated 

BOOK REVIEW / By Holden DeMayo, PillarToPost.org Sports Editor--October 1964 by David Halberstam In October 1964, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam crafts a richly textured narrative that goes far beyond the baseball diamond. 

On the surface, it’s a book about a pivotal World Series clash between the powerhouse New York Yankees and the upstart St. Louis Cardinals. But at its core, it’s an elegant meditation on the end of an era—socially, racially, and culturally—in both baseball and America itself. 

 Halberstam, renowned for blending history and narrative journalism, picks the final autumn of the Yankees’ dynastic reign not merely for its baseball drama, but for its symbolism. 

The 1964 Series becomes a prism through which we glimpse the broader shifts reshaping the sport and society. This is not just a tale of innings and batting averages; it’s about race, class, labor, and the inexorable change arriving in American life—often reluctantly, sometimes violently. 

 Two Teams, Two Americas 

 The book sets the stage by contrasting two franchises at different points in their arc. The Yankees, led by stalwarts like Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Whitey Ford, are the fading embodiment of mid-century baseball dominance—uniform, white, corporate, and conservative in their clubhouse culture. 

Their style reflects an old-guard hierarchy, shaped by General Manager George Weiss and owner Del Webb, men who had been slow to embrace integration and even slower to understand the new dynamics reshaping baseball’s talent pipeline. 

 In contrast, the 1964 Cardinals, under General Manager Bing Devine and Manager Johnny Keane, represent a franchise leaning—if imperfectly—into the future. With dynamic African American stars like Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, and Curt Flood, the Cardinals showcased a team not only more integrated, but more reflective of the changing demographics of the game. 

Halberstam does not romanticize the Cardinals; he presents them with nuance, including the internal frictions and cultural gaps. Yet, their clubhouse feels more democratic, more alive, more relevant to the direction the sport—and the country—is heading. 

 Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, and the Rise of Black Excellence 

 Few writers could chronicle the raw electricity of Bob Gibson’s pitching like Halberstam. He presents Gibson not just as a ferocious competitor, but as a figure emblematic of the new black athlete—self-assured, unbowed, and uninterested in deferential posturing. 

Gibson, like Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown, belonged to a generation unwilling to play by the old rules of racial accommodation. Lou Brock, meanwhile, serves as an accidental star—traded midseason from the Cubs in what became one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history. 

His speed and daring on the basepaths mirrored a different style of play, one that broke from the conservative, station-to-station strategies of old-school baseball. 

Together, Gibson and Brock symbolize a changing game—faster, more diverse, more visceral. 

 The Fall of the Yankee Empire 

 Halberstam is unsparing yet affectionate in his autopsy of the Yankees. The dynasty’s collapse is framed not just as a failure of personnel, but of imagination. While the team still boasted great talent, its inner culture had become brittle and exclusionary. 

Elston Howard, the first Black Yankee, is portrayed as an isolated figure in a clubhouse that never fully embraced integration. The front office’s unwillingness to tap into the deepening pool of Black and Latino talent proved a strategic blindness that would haunt the organization for over a decade. 

 This cultural conservatism extended to leadership. Manager Yogi Berra—an affable legend, but inexperienced in managing egos—was in over his head. His firing at season’s end and replacement by Johnny Keane (ironically, the Cardinals’ manager) only underlined the club’s disarray. 

The Yankees would not return to the World Series for another dozen years—a stunning drought for a team so accustomed to October glory. 

 Baseball as a Microcosm 

 Halberstam’s greatest strength lies in showing how the game mirrored America. He interweaves scenes from the 1964 season with snapshots of civil rights struggles, labor unrest, and cultural upheaval. In his hands, the integration of baseball becomes a metaphor for integration writ large: halting, imperfect, and deeply contested. 

He does not preach but rather allows the facts to speak—through rosters, trades, and locker room dynamics. 

 The book's structure balances intimate player portraits with wide-angle views of organizational philosophies. 

Halberstam draws from interviews, press archives, and his own deep knowledge of 20th-century American history to create a layered narrative. His prose is elegant but never flowery; his reporting is rigorous yet warmly human. 

 A Crossover Book 

 What makes October 1964 enduring is that it appeals to more than just baseball fans. It’s a crossover book—part sports history, part social commentary, part character study. 

Readers who care little about box scores will still find it gripping for what it says about race, change, and the American identity in flux. 

 For readers who do love the game, however, there’s a nostalgic pull. Halberstam evokes the smell of the clubhouse, the tension of a full count in a packed stadium, the unspoken codes of the dugout. 

He captures the emotional drama of a sport where success still depended more on instinct and will than data and algorithms. 

 Final Score 

Halberstam died in a car crash in
California at age 73

 October 1964 is a slow burn of a book, less about the immediacy of victory and more about the tectonic shifts beneath it. It reminds us that every season is a story within a story—that behind the stats and the standings are real men, flawed systems, and cultural reckonings. 

 As the new baseball season of 2025 dawns, Halberstam’s book is a timely read. It’s not just about who won or lost in October. It’s about what it meant—and still means—when a game evolves, a dynasty falls, and a nation confronts its growing pains under stadium lights. 

Also: Listed under 1964 World Series highlights can be found on YouTube,

COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / ESPRESSO WITH A SIDE OF ESCAPISM

BIG DOG. A mellow afternoon at SURF Coffee in Moscow—where dogs nap, headphones hum, and the coffee never rushes you. This café’s easygoing charm and lifestyle aesthetic have made it a cultural touchstone in the city.
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press. 

With a name like Surf Coffee, the image above could be steps from the Pacific--maybe near UCSB in Goleta, CA. Surprisingly, it's amid Moscow's big city buzz and bustle. SURF Coffee, a small chain of lifestyle cafés, is quietly redefining what it dares to be Western in Russia’s capital one knockov at a time. 

A recent photo by the Associated Press captured the essence of this caffeine oasis: warm wood, casual seating, baristas deep in their groove—and a customer's giant St. Bernard zzzzzing contentedly on the floor next to his much smaller canine pal. Yes, seeing is believing. 

Our cafe correspondent, now in Moscow, insists we don’t mistake Surf Coffee’s curated decor for mere design theater because the coffee holds its own. Their house-roasted beans lean toward nutty and citrusy profiles, with baristas who speak the global language of pour-overs and flat whites fluently. 

A standout is their signature raf—a Russian café classic turned indulgent experience with velvety crema and infused vanilla hints. Surf’s menu often reflects seasonal experiments, but the atmosphere is what lingers: communal tables, soft indie beats, and a sense that this is less a pit stop and more a pause in life’s current. 

Whether you’re a caffeine seeker or a digital nomad hunting a cozy plug-in corner, Surf Coffee captures a rare fusion—espresso with a side of escapism. 

THE FRIDAY FILES / HOW GOES DIGGING INTO REDACTED JFK DOCS?

 

MOMENTS BEFORE. Secret servicemen standing on the running boards follow the President's limo carrying JFK (right, rear seat) and that of first lady Jacqueling Kennedy, rear seat, left, as well as Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie. AP photo/Jim Altgens.

 Too soon to tell! 

 GUEST BLOG / By John Hanna and Jamie Stengle, Reporters, The Associated Press--Newly released documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 gave curious readers more details Wednesday into Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations but didn’t initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK. 

 Assessments of the roughly 2,200 files posted by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on its website came with a huge caveat: No one had enough time as of Wednesday to review more than a small fraction of them. 

 The vast majority of the National Archives’ more than 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released. 

 An initial Associated Press review of more than 63,000 pages of records released this week shows that some were not directly related to the assassination but rather dealt with covert CIA operations, particularly in Cuba. And nothing in the first documents examined undercut the conclusion that Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. 

 “Nothing points to a second gunman,” said Philip Shenon, who wrote a 2013 book about the assassination. “I haven’t seen any big blockbusters that rewrite the essential history of the assassination, but it is very early.” 

 Kennedy was killed on a visit to Dallas, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested the 24-year-old Oswald, a former Marine who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast live on television. 

 OSWALD IN MEXICO. Shown is part of a file dated Apr. 15, 1964, details efforts to trace Lee Harvey Oswald from Mexico City back to the US. 

 Historians hope for new details about the man who killed JFK 

 A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But critics of the commission still spun a web of alternative theories. 

 Historians are hoping for details fleshing out Oswald’s activities before the assassination and what the CIA and FBI knew about him beforehand. 

 Shenon pointed Wednesday to previously released documents about a trip Oswald made to Mexico City at the end of September 1963. Records show Oswald intended to contact the Soviet Union’s embassy there after living as a U.S. defector in the U.S.S.R. from October 1959 until June 1962. 

 Shenon said the U.S. government may have kept information about what it knew about Oswald before the assassination secret to hide what he described as officials’ possible “incompetence and laziness.” 

 “The CIA had Oswald under pretty aggressive surveillance while he was there and this was just several weeks before the assassination,” Shenon said. “There’s reason to believe he talked openly about killing Kennedy in Mexico City and that people overheard him say that.” 

 Speculation about such details surrounding Kennedy’s assassination has been intense over the decades, generating countless conspiracy theories about multiple shooters and involvement by the Soviet Union, the mafia and the CIA. The new release fueled rampant online speculation and sent people scurrying to read the documents and share online what they might mean. 

 Many documents already were public but information had been redacted The latest release of documents followed an order by President Donald Trump, though most of the records were made public previously with redactions. Before Tuesday, researchers had estimated that 3,000 to 3,500 files were still unreleased, either wholly or partially. Last month, the FBI said it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination. 

 Jefferson Morley, vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination, said in a statement posted on the social platform X that much of the “rampant overclassification of trivial information has been eliminated” from the documents. 

 The timing of the release drew criticism from a Kennedy grandson, Jack Schlossberg. In a post on X, Schlossberg said the Trump administration did not notify family members before the records were made public. “...a total surprise, and not a shocker !!” Schlossberg wrote. 

 Trump issued his executive order to release the files on Jan. 23. A boon to historians of the Cold War The latest release also is a boon to historians of the Cold War. Timothy Naftali, an adjunct professor at Columbia University who is writing a book about JFK’s presidency, said scholars now appear to have more details about U.S. intelligence activities under Kennedy than under any other president. 

 For example, in October 1975, U.S. senators were investigating what the CIA knew about Oswald, and an October 1975 memo said they considered the agency “not forthcoming.” 

 A version of that memo released in 2023 redacted the name of the CIA’s security contact on Oswald in Mexico, as well as the identity of someone behind the “penetration of the Cuban embassy” there. 

The latest version shows that the security contact was the president of Mexico in 1975, Luis Echeverria Alvarez, who died in 2022, and that the Mexican government itself penetrated the Cuban embassy. 

 Also, Naftali said, before the latest release, the government had made public copies of Johnson’s presidential “daily checklist” of highly sensitive foreign intelligence in the days after Kennedy’s assassination, but with much of the material redacted. Now, he said, people can read what Johnson read. 

 “It’s quite remarkable to be able to walk through that secret world,” he said. 

 Some records provide small details about covert operations 

 Documents show that in December 1963, the CIA director’s office was receiving messages from and replying to operatives in Cuba seeking to undermine the government under Fidel Castro. One, on Dec. 9, 1963, relayed a message to the director from Cuba: “TODAY RECD THE MAGNUM PISTOLS BUT NO BULLETS.” 

 “You’re getting both a bird’s-eye view of U.S. foreign policy, and you’re also getting a snail’s eye view of covert action, right there on the ground,” Naftali said. 

 In a previously released April 1975 memo, the CIA downplayed what it knew about Oswald’s visit to Mexico City before the assassination. The memo said the CIA recorded three phone calls between Oswald and a guard at the Soviet embassy, but only in the last one did Oswald identify himself. 

 “We’re now discovering how much more the CIA and the FBI knew before the assassination about Oswald,” Shenon said. “And the question is, why didn’t they act on the information in their own files?”

 NAMING THE NAMES. Recently declassified documents related to the JFK assassination were released on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Example above shows what had been redacted from a file involving the Mexican government.

THE FOODIST / SUN ALSO RISES FOR BREAKFAST IN SAN DIEGO'S GASLAMP QUARTER

Dawn in the Gaslamp Quarter comes softly, the first light painting the old bricks of the old St. James Hotel (now called the Pali Hotel) in shades of gold and nostalgia. 

The city stirs, but inside the St. James French Diner, the day begins with a whisper—candlelit tables flickering against the polished wood, the scent of fresh bread and café au lait curling into the air like a Parisian sonnet. 

Open at 7 a.m., this is one of those rare finds in San Diego’s historic downtown—an American bistro dressed as a Parisian boulevardier where you can slip in before the rush, claim a window seat along bustling Fifth Avenue, and settle into the quiet luxury of a morning well-spent. 

The hum of conversation is low, the clink of porcelain reassuring. It’s a natural setting for a business rendezvous before the day turns hectic, a momentary return to civility before the sun climbs high and the modern world demands its due. The menu is French in spirit, timeless in execution. A buttery croissant, as crisp as autumn leaves, pairs beautifully with a steaming bowl of café au lait served in the grand, two-hand tradition. 

The omelette fines herbes is light but purposeful, with just enough richness to remind you that breakfast is not a hurried affair here—it is a ritual. A plate of crêpes sucrées, dusted with just the right touch of sugar, speaks to the part of you that once dreamed of Montmartre mornings, watching the world unfold from a terrace on Rue Lepic. 

There’s something old haunt about this place. . Perhaps it's the setting—the old hotel, standing watch since 1919, where history lingers in the moldings and whispers from the high ceilings. 

Perhaps it’s the sunlight streaming in offering a gentle rebellion against the glare of neon and screens. Whatever it is, St. James French Diner makes a case for slowing down, for savoring the poetry of a well-prepared breakfast. And for those who know, who understand that a great city reveals itself best in the early hours, this is the place to begin. 

Then as the day goes on, this warm inn transforms into a popular American bistro with lunch, Happy Hour and dinner ahead. A good tip for travelers arriving into town, the Pali is also a fine hotel at affordable prices. The top of the roof lounge offers a super sunset (for guests, seulement). 

DESIGN / PASSION FOR CULINARY CREATION IN COPENHAGEN

Amator in Copenhagen is not your typical dining spot—it’s an avant-garde culinary studio disguised as a restaurant. Blurring the lines between home kitchen and fine dining. 

Found in Copenhagen’s Østerbro district, a small revolution is simmering—one that redefines what a dining experience can be. Meet Amator, a culinary concept that calls itself a "hjemme spisested"—Danish for "home eatery"—rather than a restaurant or café. 

Mateusz Sarnowski aka Mati Pichci

The name Amator comes from the Latin amator, meaning a passionate enthusiast or lover of an idea. And passion, indeed, is at the heart of this singular space. The establishing force behind Amator is Warsaw-born chef Mateusz Sarnowski, better known by his Instagram moniker Mati Pichci.

Amator breaks from traditional hospitality norms. 

Sarnowski, a self-taught chef with experience at Copenhagen’s world-famous Noma, envisioned a place where food feels personal, intimate, and expressive—not slick or overly refined. 

At Amator, guests are welcomed not by waitstaff but by the very people who prepared their food. 

Each dish is introduced with a story—sometimes a technique, sometimes a heritage anecdote—turning dinner into a lively, narrative experience. 

The 18-seat space itself reflects this unpretentious spirit: a communal layout, open kitchen, and warm, lived-in design elements invite conversation rather than ceremony. 

The ever-evolving menu showcases small, soulful plates built around hyper-local and seasonal ingredients. You might find Jerusalem artichoke velouté with smoked butter, grilled cabbage with tamarind glaze, or wild mushroom tartlets topped with pickled spruce tips. Nordic comfort food is the foundation, but global curiosity flavors every plate. 

And it’s not just the food that makes Amator a standout. The wine list favors natural selections, while the ambiance hums with relaxed camaraderie. 

 Because he is self-taught, Chef Sarnowski insists Amator is not to be called a cafe or restaurant, but rather "hjemme spisested, which in Danish is home eatery. 

There’s no chase for Michelin stars here—just storytelling, shared bites, and an open-hearted approach to dining. Perhaps, some day soon the star(s) will align.

The interiors, crafted in collaboration with Adam Wiercinski of Wiercinski Studio in Poznań, Poland, reinforce the homemade yet artfully considered aesthetic. Many furnishings were custom-made by the studio, blending understated Nordic design with a playful, handcrafted sensibility. 

Amator is a word that comes from Latin and means a passionate,
enthusiast, a lover of an idea or concept who is skilled
but not necessarily a professional.

In collaboration with its founder, this home style eatery was designed by Adam Wiercinski of Wiercinski Studio, a design practice in Poznan, Poland. Many of the furnishings were created by W-S.

Amator opened its doors in May 2024 at Nordre Frihavnsgade 7, 2100 Copenhagen—a quietly confident newcomer that has already become a destination for those who value soul over shine, flavor over flair. 

This wonderful image by Paolo Gaigrani shows Amator's founder Mateusz Sarnowski, aka Mati Pichci. am Instagram nickname and architect/ designer Adam Wiercinski (right) of Wiercinski Studio. 

  

POLITICS / HOW AM I DOIN' SO FAR?

 "LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH IDIOTS?"

"What me, worry?"

MEDIA MONDAY / WILL BANNING AL JAZEERA HELP ANYONE?

 

Al Jazeera Is Banned, Again 

GUEST BLOG / By Jon Allsop via his article in the Columbia Journalism Review-- Last May, the Israeli government—invoking new emergency powers allowing it to act against foreign broadcasters that it perceives as endangering national security—temporarily banned Al Jazeera, the influential network that broadcasts in both Arabic and English, from operating inside Israeli territory and dispatched agents to raid its offices in a hotel in Jerusalem, where they confiscated equipment. 

Israeli officials accused Al Jazeera of being a mouthpiece for Hamas—the militant group that controls Gaza and attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing well over a thousand people—and of inciting further violence. 

The Israeli ban “may have come to many as a disappointment,” Ayodeji Rotinwa wrote for CJR at the time, but “it should not have been a surprise”; as the academic Amit Schejter noted to Rotinwa, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has “no respect for freedom of the press.” 

A few months later, Israeli soldiers also raided Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah, in the West Bank, again issuing a temporary shutdown order and confiscating equipment. A witness told CNN at the time that the soldiers breached the building’s entrance using explosives. 

 This week, Al Jazeera broadcast a video showing law enforcement officials entering a hotel room in Ramallah and handing one of its journalists a letter ordering a ban on its operations. 

This time, though, the officials weren’t from the Israeli government but from the Palestinian Authority, or PA—the body, dominated by the political party Fatah, that administers parts of the West Bank (but not Gaza, where Hamas defeated Fatah in the 2000s, then forced it out). 

As the New York Times notes, there has long been “bad blood” between Fatah and Al Jazeera, with the former seeing the latter as pro-Hamas; nor—according to Noga Tarnopolsky, the Jerusalem correspondent for France 24—is there any love lost between Fatah and Qatar, the country that funds Al Jazeera. (Tarnopolsky even suggested that the Fatah-controlled PA might have moved against Al Jazeera to “put itself on the right side” of the incoming Trump administration in the US.) 

The PA characterized its decision to ban Al Jazeera from operating under its jurisdiction as temporary, suggesting that it would be reversed when the broadcaster comes into compliance with regulations that it is supposedly breaching. 

But officials also accused it of trying to “provoke strife and interfere in Palestinian internal affairs,” by disseminating “misleading reports” and “inciting materials." 

Beyond the complicated web of factional and geopolitical considerations that formed the backdrop to the decision, the more immediate context was Al Jazeera’s coverage of recent operations that the PA’s security forces have conducted against Palestinian fighters, some of whom reportedly have ties to Hamas and other militant groups, in Jenin and other parts of the West Bank. 

Last week, Fatah moved to block Al Jazeera from reporting from Jenin and other locations, while urging residents to shun the broadcaster; then came this week’s formal suspension order. While the order did not outline specific examples of coverage that constituted misinformation or incitement, a Fatah official pointed the Times to a satirical skit accusing the PA of cooperating with Israel to crush the Palestinian resistance. 

Officials had also criticized Al Jazeera for its coverage of the killing of Shatha al-Sabbagh, a young Palestinian journalist who was shot in the head in Jenin last weekend. Al Jazeera invited a PA spokesperson on air to discuss the incident, apparently without telling him that he would be appearing with Sabbagh’s mother, who accused PA forces of killing her daughter. 

The spokesperson denied this and accused Al Jazeera of taking advantage of the mother’s pain. Palestinian officials haven’t been the only ones to criticize Al Jazeera’s coverage of the recent operations: on New Year’s Eve, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate said in a statement that it had received complaints from some of its journalist members, and that an ethics panel had since concluded that Al Jazeera had published materials that “constitute hate speech and contain deliberate misinformation,” posing “a threat to Palestinian social cohesion” and demonstrating “a preference for incitement over objective reporting.” 

Recently, however, the syndicate came out against the PA’s decision to ban Al Jazeera, reiterating a call for the broadcaster to “comply with journalistic ethics and to cease its policy of incitement” but also stressing the importance of media freedom. 

And many other observers—from Palestinian lawyers and politicians to international governments and press-freedom groups—were more harshly critical. 

Al Jazeera itself reacted with fury, attacking the ban as being “in line with the occupation’s actions against its staff” (a reference to Israel’s actions) and a blatant attempt to censor coverage of events in the West Bank. 

 The PA’s laws theoretically guarantee press freedom, but Reporters Without Borders notes that in practice, this has been threatened under the organization's watch, including by a cybercrimes law pushed through in 2017; since then, Palestinian security forces have been accused of assaulting or arresting journalists on several occasions. 

According to CNN, this is the first time that Palestinian officials have taken such severe legal action against Al Jazeera, specifically. But the ban is not without precedent in the Arab world: as Rotinwa reported last year, the broadcaster has been banished from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, and accused by various governments of platforming extremists. Rotinwa also noted that while Israel may have used wartime powers to ban Al Jazeera last year, its desire to do so wasn’t new—Netanyahu called for similar action to be taken as far back as 2017. Again, the recent bans of Al Jazeera—by both Israel and, now, the PA—come in the context of a long and knotted history of regional contestation and attempts by a range of actors to suppress press freedom. (A case in point, perhaps, is that Hamas has been among the critics of the PA ban, characterizing it, apparently without irony, as a shameful repression of dissent.) 

And yet the bans clearly cannot be separated from the recent context of the war in Gaza, which Israel has continued to bombard since the Hamas attack of October 7. 

The blitz has taken a devastating toll on media workers, not least from Al Jazeera, which, as Rotinwa noted, is one of the few international outlets with reporters on the ground in Gaza. (Israeli officials have refused to let outside reporters enter without a military escort.) 

When Rotinwa wrote last June, at least three Al Jazeera staffers in Gaza had already been killed in Israeli strikes, with the broadcaster accusing the Israeli military of targeting them; Israel has denied that it targets journalists, though it suggested that it had indeed targeted two of the Al Jazeera staffers because they had ties to militants, an assertion that has been strongly challenged by Al Jazeera and third-party reporting. 

Since Rotinwa wrote, at least two other media workers affiliated with Al Jazeera have been killed in Gaza, and others have been injured. One, Fadi Al Wahidi, was shot in the neck by Israeli forces in October. According to a colleague, yesterday was his twenty-fifth birthday. Despite the severity of his injuries, he has not yet been able to leave Gaza to receive treatment. 

 Also recently, Al Jazeera spoke with journalists at a Gaza hospital where they have set up camp due to the relative availability of internet there. One media worker described the PA’s decision to ban Al Jazeera as a “crime against journalism.” Another accused the PA of bolstering an Israeli narrative that “justifies the targeting of Palestinian journalists.” 

SUNDAY REVIEW / POEM TO THE END OF WINTER

RETRO FILES / MURDER IN THE SENATE

The Ides of March, Re-enacted on the Very Spot Where Julius Caesar was murdered.

The Ides of March: Reliving Caesar’s Last Moments at Largo di Torre Argentina 

Based on an article by Grace Russo Bullaro for La Voce di New York, the first Italian-English digital daily in the U.S. 

Photos by Ludovica Jaus 

Beware the Ides of March! This age-old warning has echoed through history, immortalized in literature and whispered in classrooms around the world. Julius Caesar, a towering figure of ancient Rome, likely never imagined that his assassination would overshadow his lifetime of accomplishments. Yet, thanks to Shakespeare and the enduring fascination with his dramatic end, March 15, 44 B.C. remains etched in our collective memory. 

On that fateful day, Caesar entered the Curia of Pompey, the Senate house, unaware that betrayal awaited him. Ambushed by his own senators, he was stabbed 23 times, reportedly falling with the iconic words, “Et tu, Brute?” on his lips. 

Fast forward to today, and the heart of Rome pulses with that history. In the sacred archaeological site of Largo di Torre Argentina, history is remembered and brought vividly to life. 

The site, home to four ancient Roman Republican temples and the ruins of Pompey’s Theatre, now serves as the stage for a dramatic re-enactment of Caesar’s assassination. 

A Walk Through History 

The re-enactment, curated by director Yuri Napoli and supported by instructors from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, doesn’t merely retell the story—it immerses audiences in it. 

Actors perform on the very ground where Caesar’s blood was spilled, reciting Shakespeare’s timeless orations from Brutus and Mark Antony. This powerful blend of historical accuracy and literary drama transforms what could be a mere history lesson into a visceral experience. 

Following Caesar’s staged fall, the re-enactment continues with a solemn funeral procession. The actors lead a symbolic journey from Largo Argentina, through Via dei Fori Imperiali, and onward to the Temple of Julius Caesar in the Roman Forum, mirroring the path of the ancient funeral rites. 

Organizing the Past 

This commemorative event is the brainchild of Gruppo Storico Romano, organized under the supervision of the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the Capitoline Superintendency. Historical enthusiasts from the Decima Legio Association also participate, adding an extra layer of authenticity with their meticulous attention to Roman customs. 

Largo di Torre Argentina: A Living Landmark 

Largo di Torre Argentina isn’t just the site of Caesar’s final moments—it’s a treasure trove of Roman history. For years, visitors could only peer down at the ruins from above. But with the recent opening of an elevated walkway in June, tourists can now walk among the remnants of temples and Pompey’s Theatre, standing mere feet from where the Roman leader met his tragic fate. 

As night falls, the site is bathed in atmospheric lighting, casting long shadows across ancient stones. It’s a reminder that while Rome continues to evolve, its history is ever-present, waiting to be experienced by those who walk its storied streets. 

Whether you’re a history buff, a Shakespeare enthusiast, or simply curious, this re-enactment invites you to step back in time and witness the day that changed the course of Roman history. 

THE FOODIST / GILDA: A TAPA NAMED DESIRE

 "Gilda" refers to both the 1946 film Gilda, starring Rita Hayworth, and a popular Spanish pintxo (a type of tapa). 

They gasped when Rita Hayworth peeled off that glove. Now they swoon over Spain’s most SSSSSSizzling bite—the Gilda Pintxo! 

Gilda--The name drips with danger, smolders with scandal. The woman? Untouchable. 

The pintxo?--Unstoppable. Because some things—and some women—were never meant to be tamed. 

Pintxo – A wicked skewer of green olives, pickled guindilla peppers, and anchovies—salty, sultry, and a little bit sinful. One taste, and you’re in deep. Too deep. This small snack commonly eaten in bars in northern Spain, particularly in the Basque Country is still setting hearts and palates on fire.  

Hayworth--Add a pinch of Ziegfeld Follies (mother) a fiery Spanish dancer (father) and you have Brooklyn born Rita Hayworth. An American dancer, singer, and iconic film star, she ruled the silver screen in the 1940s. 🔥 SSSSSSSSSSmoking! 🔥 

DESIGN / A REVIEW OF NORMAL MAGAZINE, A DECADE OLD ART MAGAZINE FROM FRANCE

Founded in 2014, Normal Magazine is a quarterly French publication that merges the worlds of art, photography, fashion, and the nude into a sophisticated print experience. 

Based in Paris, the magazine serves as a platform for celebrated contemporary photographers and emerging talents. Its pages feature a rich blend of editorials, interviews, portfolios, and exclusive projects, offering readers nearly 300 pages of thoughtfully curated content. 

 What sets Normal Magazine apart is its ability to balance the aesthetic qualities of an art book with the accessibility of a magazine. Readers are invited to explore intimate insights into the creative processes behind iconic and lesser-known works, presented through exclusive series that seamlessly intertwine art, nudity, and fashion. 

 Over the years, the publication has built close relationships with influential figures in the photography world, often collaborating with featured artists who have become personal friends of the editorial team. This strong network of talent enhances the magazine's unique appeal. Normal Magazine is available internationally in bookstores, concept stores, and museums. 

In addition to its print edition, the magazine extends its reach through digital versions accessible on desktop computers and mobile devices, ensuring its content resonates with a broader audience. Behind-the-scenes features such as live and replay TV channels, backstage photos, and exclusive editorials enrich the reader's experience by shedding light on the artistic processes involved. 

 Widely praised by readers, Normal Magazine has been described as a "beautiful art photography magazine" that is "well put together," consistently showcasing the work of top-tier photographers in the genre. The editorial team, including Marc-Antoine Ravé as a section editor, upholds the magazine's reputation for high-quality content and artistic integrity.  Most recent issue was released November 24, 2024.

 For anyone passionate about fine art photography, Normal Magazine is an essential exploration of established and emerging talent, offering a captivating blend of artistic vision and craftsmanship. To learn more about the magazine or to explore its content further, visit its official website: www.normal-magazine.com.