Pay attention.
America is in trouble.
Minus establishing a formal declaration of war, the United States of America is being taken.
No Communist Party, no firing an official shot, no religious zealot or dictator — but the greatest country on God’s Earth is failing.
Some of us won’t be here to see it — but we already know it’s gone.
No patriotism, less religion, weakened respect for God, no love of country, no worshipping the flag, no regard toward elders, less care for the aged and ailing.
No legality for right or wrong, no protected police force.
It’s drugs, thugs, poverty, disrespect, homeless, uncaring nonpatriotic refugees, un-American thinking, multiple languages, multiple attitudes, killings, thefts, youngsters taught how bad adults are.
It’s flag burning. It’s take a knee, it’s hate, it’s done with manners, respect, care, schooling, cursive.
It’s killing parents, corrupting the next generation — and already … already … co-opting rules of law.
Pay attention. De-escalating the legal profession. Interfering with judges.
At this moment there’s a chokehold on the state Senate Democratic majority and New York Court of Appeals.
They’re proposing cuts in the Judiciary budget. Striving to amend our Constitution.
Mixing matters of legislation and litigation. Current bail laws?
Senate leadership is into the old fallback line: “Blame the courts.”
Demagogues always portray themselves as “protectors of the People.”
But pay attention. They spell trouble for America.
Making the snappy scene
FOTOG Carell Augustus’ book party? It was for “Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments.”
Actors of color doubled for original stars. Vanessa Williams doubled for Liz Taylor. Jessica Lange’s “King Kong” role re-created. Sharon Stone with black Hollywood wristbands said: “I ain’t nothing but white chocolate, baby.”
Don’t ask — but there was a version of that famous “Basic Instinct” crotch shot.
Meeting a few lucky duckies
Film “Jacir”? It deals with Syrian refugees living on the streets of Memphis.
Lorraine Bracco shot there. Director Waheed AlQawasmi is from Jordan.
Bracco: “ ’Jacir’ deals with racism, poverty. Very poor neighborhood. Like a woman addicted to painkillers and is a racist bitch. I stayed at the duck place and stole the duck soaps for my grandkids.”
“Duck place” is the landmark Peabody Hotel. A fowl flock lives on the roof.
Every day with staff help they waddle into the elevator, go to the lobby, paddle around in a pool.
“Jacir” opened last week.
The UN is a strange world. Some foreign nobody pol gets up, speaks for an hour, nobody listens to this guy, but the minute he sits down — everybody disagrees with him.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.