Catching Up With The Times

Parsing the Cover-up: If we have learned anything from the various scandals—political, social and sexual—of the last 40 decades, it is that usually the cover-up is much worse than the crime. From Watergate to John Edwards-gate, to baseball steroids-gate, to now Arnold-gate, the public’s tolerance for evasiveness and deceit is much shallower than its compassion and acceptance of sinners who are contrite and confess.

Into this cycle of teaching moments steps a new report commissioned by the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops that seeks to explain the causes of sexual abuse by priests that has rocked the church (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/us/18bishops.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=roman%20catholic%20bishops&st=cse).

Not being Catholic, I can only comment from the outside. I’m interested but not really surprised by the reasons cited in the report. Moreover, I’m not convinced priests are significantly more prone to sexually abusing young boys and girls than any other religion’s leaders, be they celibate by doctrine or not. People in authority repeatedly have been shown to abuse their status, even against the most defenseless of society.

What has confounded me throughout this scandal is the lack of accountability of the bishops and the rest of the higher echelon of the church. Instead of confronting the problem head on, they covered it up, permitting offending priests to sin time and again in unsuspecting parishes with innocent children. Thus, the new report is nice to have but in no way resolves the central issue of the cover-up of abuses that has gone on for decades.


Arnold-gate: Let’s just say Arnold has eclectic taste.

His alleged paramour, Mildred Patricia Baena, by whom he fathered a son, is hardly fashioned from the same mold as Maria Shriver, his wife of 25 years. See for yourself: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/05/19/us/19schwarzenegger-cnd.html


In Style: Interesting article about Jennifer Lopez in last Sunday’s NY Times— http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/fashion/jennifer-lopez-the-peoples-pop-star.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=jennifer%20lopez&st=cse

What made the report on J. Lo’s revamped vibes more personal was her recent appearance in a red Gucci gown at the Costume Institute gala at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Some of you may know our daughter, Ellie, works at the Met. Each year she helps out at this high fashion function.

From her vantage point checking in A-list guests, Ellie could observe all the actresses, models, celebrities and socialites, such as Alicia Keys, Ashley Olsen, Beyonce, Blake Lively, Claire Danes, Demi Moore, Eva Mendes, Fergie, Ginnifer Goodwin, Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zoe Saltana, Christina Ricci and Gisele Bündchen.

Her red carpet verdict—J. Lo far and away exuded more star power, more glamour than any other.


Degree of Separation: I once sat across an airplane aisle from Sen. Paul Tsongas when he was considering a presidential run in 1992. As I was reading a Times article on his chances, I tapped him on the shoulder (he was facing the other way), explaining the serendipity of sitting next to the person I was reading about prompted my intrusion on his privacy. He was very gracious and understanding.

This short reflection is a prologue to sitting across from a distant cousin’s wife last Sunday as she related her employers were profiled in that day’s Times Styles section. Instead of the usual wedding announcement or Vows article, the write-up was about the elegant party the couple was planning for their...divorce! (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/fashion/celebrating-a-divorce-with-a-party-noticed.html?scp=1&sq=charles%20bronfman&st=cse).

The rich surely do live different lives.


Brooklyn Landmark: The once tallest building in Brooklyn, the Williamsburg Savings Bank, has been converted to a mixed use edifice of commercial space and luxury residences. The Times ran an article Tuesday about the auctioning off of six penthouses ranging in price from $1.325 million to $2.55 million.

I was struck by the following paragraph: “The conversion of the landmark from a quirky collection of offices — many for dentists — to luxury residences atop floors of commercial space was among the most talked-about in Brooklyn, but the building failed to sell out despite flurries of activity” (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/nyregion/apartments-are-auctioned-at-towering-brooklyn-condo.html?scp=1&sq=williamsburg%20savings%20bank&st=cse).

My mother took me to one of those dentist offices to have some baby teeth extracted when I was about five. The oral surgeon propped my mouth open with a short, hard black rubber tube before putting me to sleep. The next thing I knew, a young nurse’s face was circling round and round before my eyes as I emerged from the ether. I can still see her face floating above me.


Too Many Visions: Are you as tired as I am seeing video of Osama bin Laden watching a video of himself? Before he was killed, all we saw was film of him walking a rocky trail, or shooting a Kalashnikov rifle. Now every news report shows him watching himself. Enough already!