Media-Whore D'Oeuvres

"It's a mixed bag these days. Europe appears to have arrested its fall into the abyss and the U.S. economy is finally looking up. But with a looming consensus that war with Iran is in the offing and Putin's recent return to power in Russia, geopolitical chaos lurks around the corner. Foreign Policyonce again turned to Nouriel Roubini -- who's always good for a little doom and gloom -- and Ian Bremmer to make sense of the ticking time bombs. And they didn't hold back. When asked about the consequences of war in Iran, Roubini sees prolonged high oil prices '$170, $180, $200 a barrel' and warned of the knock-on consequences: 'the last three major global recessions ... were all caused by a geopolitical shock in the Middle East that led to spike in oil prices.' But Bremmer's not buying all the war hype: "the Obama administration does not want to engage in military strikes against Iran -- and they sure as hell are going to resist it, no matter what -- before the elections.' When it comes to metaphors, the pair of prognosticators didn't disappoint: Roubini still sees a dark outcome in Europe -- 'a slow-motion train wreck' -- while Bremmer sees the Chinese economy as a 'very, very fast car' hurtling down a highway ... 'the problem is that there's a bend in the road coming up and there's no steering.'" (ForeignPolicy)

"They stood beneath a Saturn V rocket, baby-carrying mothers, cross-armed men, workers in coveralls and financial planners, listening as Rick Santorum told them who they were and why they mattered. 'Red Alabama,' he said to the crowd on Thursday at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center here in Huntsville. 'Conservative Alabama. The heart of conservatism.'  Along with his rivals Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, Mr. Santorum is pressing hard here and in Mississippi before a vote on Tuesday that could narrow the field in the Republican nominating contest or help prolong it into the coming weeks and months. But a victory is about more than just delegates — it will give the winner a claim on the Deep South, or as Mr. Santorum described it, the heart of conservatism.  But the Deep South base is not as predictable as it once was. National polling companies have found a volatile contest in Alabama and Mississippi, a near toss-up among the three leading candidates. And indeed the primaries represent a rather neat slicing of the Southern electorate at the current moment.

'The base is split all over the place on this,' said Mike Ball, a Republican state legislator in Alabama." (NYTimes)

"A few weeks ago, Jon Marder had asked me to lunch as a guest of Marvin and Lee Traub at the Four Seasons. The Traubs were working on something having to do with Martha Graham. Jon would also be there, along with Janet Eilber, the Artistic Director of the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. It turns out that the Traubs are being honored on this coming Wednesday night at the Graham Company Gala. The evening begins at City Center with the great Russian ballerina Diana Vishneva performing. This is major in the dance world – Vishneva is the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky (formerly the Kirov), classically trained, and performing Modern Dance creator Martha Graham ... Lee Traub told me over lunch that Martha Graham regarded her work as Cubist. She and Pablo Picasso, Braque, Gris and Leger. I had never thought of that and it made so much sense: the images she created with her movements. Graham had that kind of charisma where you automatically acknowledge. That’s the image – to me – of genius." (NYSocialDiary)

"The new Louis Vuitton—Marc Jacobs exhibition packed them in at Les Arts Décoratifs last night. In addition to the faces made familiar by a long month of fashion shows, we spotted Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Charlotte Gainsbourg. After chatting with Catherine Deneuve, Kristen Stewart enjoyed a different kind of tête-à-tête with Robert Pattinson. Aside from the celebs, the century-old LV trunks and a giant chocolate box filled with bags from Jacobs' tenure at the house made good eye candy, but everyone we asked agreed they liked the photo and video room best. 'It's inside Marc's head,' said Sam Gainsbury, who worked on the installation with Jacobs." (Style)

"Any interiors-fixated Manhattanite will tell you that taxidermy is 'totally in.' No wonder everyone was more agog than usual at the Museum of Natural History last night, where the ersatz institution staged its annual Museum Dance. With Saks Fifth Avenue as the sponsor, "bright and bold" as the attire, and free-flowing champagne de rigeur, it was the most festive museum moment of the social season (so far—it's only March!). 'I spray painted them,' said Michael Thom matter-of-factly, referring to his neon orange jeans (formerly white), which had been transformed only hours earlier on his terrance. (A pink watch and sunglasses completed the look). Amy Fine Collins went faintly Ariel-ish in a splendid teal sequined gown that was an attraction in its own right. Gillian Miniter opted for a punchy Lela Rose, while even Jill Kargman eschewed her usual noir for a velvet turquoise number. (Very nice). Vanessa Noel won the 'bold'-est award with a voluminous violet cape—all ruffles. Event chairs Dana Wallach Jones and Michael T. M. Jones, Elizabeth Kurpis and Jonathan A. Kurpis, Jared and Ivanka Kushner, Gregory and Ali Kwiat, Zibby and Andrew Right coaxed the cognoscenti over to the silent auction area, where Prada bags, Kwiat diamonds, and shopping excursions at Saks were creating a relative frenzy." (Fashionweekdaily)