Downton

Just heard the end of a terrific interview on CBC with P. J. O'Rourke, funny American conservative columnist. He said that watching the Republican candidates, it's like the varsity team got food poisoning in the high school cafeteria, and so the equipment manager and the water boy and the drum major are all out in the field. That left-wing parties field better political candidates because their people believe in the efficacy of government and so run for office, whereas intelligent right-wingers don't and so don't. And that he is a Republican because right-wingers tend to have fewer "Big Ideas" than left-wingers. Big Ideas are almost always a expensive and sometimes dangerous, he said. I vote Republican due to their lack of ideas. Romney is very satisfying in that regard.

Mind you, he went on, George Bush had the big idea to invade Iraq, so - so much for that notion.

Santorum, he said, would make a good president of the student council or maybe mayor of a medium-sized city, but not a president. With you on that one, P. J.

Heaven - the new season of "Downton Abbey" last night. Just the best cast, gorgeous costumes, wonderful rich story on so many levels - TV drama at its best. Maggie Smith is having the time of her life. When her granddaughter announces that she wants to help the war effort by driving a tractor, Grandmamma drawls, in horror, "Drive a tractor? My dear girl, you're not Toad of Toad Hall!" My neighbours Jean-Marc and Richard came over to watch it with me, and for two hours, we shrieked with laughter, moaned with delight - the costumes! the sets! that glorious library! - and gasped with anticipation at plot twists. They are sorry that Thomas, the conniving butler, is gay. But even the villains, such as they are, are completely fleshed-out, understandable, delightful.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)