Depressed as of late but found four things that perked up my spirits.

First - The Donald

Interesting article by Mark Bowden of Digg. To quote the headline: "Donald Trump Really Doesn’t Want Me to Tell You This, But …" Subhead: Over a long weekend on assignment forPlayboy magazine, Mark Bowden found that behind the garish Trump façade lies only more ugliness."

The article offers insights and perspectives to something that happened years ago but pertains every bit to today. Great read.

Second - Old Blue Eyes

Never was an avid fan of Frank Sinatra (more to my parents' liking) but the article by Polly Toynbee in The Guardian entitled A very long retirement: Sinatra’s bittersweet final years remembered, is excellent. Didn't know what had happened to him before his death and this piece summed up the end of his life. Found it saying a lot about fame (or lack) and death. It also makes much more poignant that ad on TV right now in which Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett meet in a store. I wonder where he is in his life. (Still earning a pretty good buck for this commercial, I venture. Lucky old dude.) Anyone who recognizes Sinatra's name should be interested in this tale.

Third - Psy•coholic

I've always liked the energy and eccentric creativity of Korean entertainer Psy. I started with Gangnam Style. Well, this afternoon I discovered Psy in 2015 moma. It's a live concert. Portion of one. It's a psychedelic romp that would take too many words to describe and never do it justice anyway. Anyone who wonders what things (like concerts) are like in other cultures should see this. Man does that guy deliver a show. I could become addicted.

Fourth - Feminine Side

This one deserves to be a discussion on its own but I finished all available episodes tonight and it plays important role in perking life up.

I refer to the NetFlix series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries which, as I mentioned the day I met former colleagues for lunch, was recommended to me. I am so pleased to have been pointed to this show. I've binged it lately over a number of days (the Australian series has a season of 13 episodes!! The third season ended at episode 8). A 1920s lady detective in Australia with her faithful ward solve murders with the assistance of their boyfriends (eventually) who happen to be the local detective inspector and his young patrolman assistant.

That's the thread. Turns out, however, it's the jewels entwined in that thread that make it special. I am going to start the series again with particular interest in:

How many different deep colors shown in cars? I don't know where those cars came from or how they came to be the colors they were, but the re-watch will be fun. From the deep red mahogany of Miss Fisher's roadster (?) to obsidian black, emerald green, and cerulean blue, the cars can pop up for a single drive-bye. They're like old-fashioned meteors streaking through scenes. Sometimes so fast yo wonder if you really did see something that stunning just go by.

Pay attention to the gorgeous range of clothes. No idea whether said styles are authentic but they come in a stunning array of fabrics, patterns, textures, and accessories (ah, what watching Project Runway all these years has taught me).

The women's hats. Much more colorful and varied than those worn by male characters. A re-watch will be like collecting butterflies or stamps only cinematically in this case. I will also be searching for sight of the elusive translucent green corsage. It is a Marcel Proust madeleine cookie. This time I will pause series to look at such jewels more closely for a longer period of time.

The characters' faces. Although the "stars" in this series (say the top ten regulars) are sort of an American Barbie and Ken style population in Australian terms, villains and lesser characters can be surprising. I'm going to look for them this time.

Oops. It's late. Later.