Retro Garlic: The Vetting Paid Off

Every once in awhile, life imitates The Garlic.

While President Obama went off to the Middle East, for his Cairo Speech, than on to France, for D-Day events, it was on to Paris, for some playtime, and fine dining.

The Hill's Blog Briefing Room picked up on it, as did the AFP, however, we'll run with the ITN version;

President Barack Obama's food taster upsets chefs

Chefs at a top Paris restaurant were upset when US President Barack Obama sent his personal food taster into the kitchen to test his meal.

The incident occured at the chic La Fontaine de Mars restaurant when the President was dining with wife Michelle, President Nicolas Sarkozy and French First Lady Carla Bruni.

The Secret Service agent inspected a security-conscious Mr Obama's roast lamb and seasonal vegetables, a worker at the posh eatery revealed.

Waiter Gabriel de Carvalho, who said Mrs Obama and the Sarkozys all ate fillet of beef, added: "The President arrived with someone who tastes the dishes.

"The man, who appeared to be a Secret Service protection officer, waited in the kitchen while the chef prepared the meal for Mr Obama and his wife Michelle.

"Then he took a fork and tasted a tiny part of both meals before they were sent out to the President and his wife."

He added: "It wasn't very pleasant for the cooks at first, who are obviously very proud about their cooking.

"But they soon understood that it wasn't to test the quality of the dish, but only to ensure the food had not been poisoned in any way.

"The food tester was calm and relaxed and made light of it, so as to cause minimum offence.

"Clearly the food was fine and the president appeared to thoroughly enjoy his meal. All four of them said they had a wonderful meal and President Obama easily smoothed things over by personally thanking the chef afterwards."

Restaurant owner Jacques Boudon confirmed later: "We understand President Obama needs to have someone to test his food for security reasons. The chef understands and we are honoured at at our restaurant."

The Flying Monkeys started throwing feces on themselves over it, when, actually, it isn't uncommon, particularly when the POTUS is traveling in another country, for someone to check out the grub.

As for The Garlic, and The Retro Part, we had the jump on this, back in December;

Breaking ... Obama Team Vetting Food Tasters

Well, This Angel Earned Her Wings

Yesterday was the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, the epic battle in World War II.



President Obama, and the other Allied leaders paid tribute (See "Obama Hails D-Day Heroes at Normandy") and both the Denver Post, and Guardian UK, have great photo galleries posted.

However this is a post I started last week, getting set aside with the cumbersome week we had, however, as it appeared for Memorial Day, it isn't dated, thanks to the June 6th anniversary date.



While she had a sturdy career, most readers (I presume) know Donna Reed, from, ostensibly, three specific roles;

Mary Hatch, in the Frank Capra classic, "It's A Wonderful Life"

Alma 'Lorene' Burke, the dance club girl (an Oscar-winning role) in another WWII classic, "From Here To Eternity"

And, the all-American mother, Donna Stone, from televisions' "The Donna Reed Show"

But, as it turns out, she was also one of the most requested (or appreciated) "pin-up girls" of World War II

This, from a fascinating article that appeared in The New York Times, last week.

Dear Donna: A Pinup So Swell She Kept G.I. Mail

The United States military encouraged the pinup phenomenon as a way to maintain the morale of soldiers far from home. Most of the leading pinups were established stars known for their sex appeal, in particular Betty Grable, blond hair piled high, poured into a swimsuit and photographed from behind, her face turned toward the camera with a smile. There were others: images of Rita Hayworth, Ann Sheridan, Hedy Lamarr and Dorothy Lamour also adorned lockers, barracks walls and the noses of military aircraft.

But “Donna Reed probably came closer than any other actress to being the archetypal sweetheart, wife and mother,” said Jay Fultz, author of the 1998 biography “In Search of Donna Reed.” Since she was also slightly younger, newly graduated from ingénue roles and therefore closer in age to the average fighting man, they often wrote to her as if to a sister or the girl next door, confiding moments of homesickness, loneliness, privation and anxiety.

Reed's daughter, Mary Owen, after getting picked off in the Bear Stearns meltdown, started going through her mothers' possessions, and stumbled upon the letters, from the GI's, which Reed, astoundingly, kept (341 of them).

The soldiers wrote (some gushed) to Reed;

“Donna Reed probably came closer than any other actress to being the archetypal sweetheart, wife and mother,” said Jay Fultz, author of the 1998 biography “In Search of Donna Reed.” Since she was also slightly younger, newly graduated from ingénue roles and therefore closer in age to the average fighting man, they often wrote to her as if to a sister or the girl next door, confiding moments of homesickness, loneliness, privation and anxiety.

And, for all of her apple-pie image;

Later in life, however, Ms. Reed became an ardent antiwar campaigner, serving during the Vietnam era as co-chairwoman of a 285,000-member group called Another Mother for Peace and working for Senator Eugene McCarthy in the 1968 presidential race. In his biography, Mr. Fultz quotes her as saying that “she looked forward to a time when ‘19-year-old boys will no longer be taken away to fight in old men’s battles.’ ”

Check out Dear Donna: A Pinup So Swell She Kept G.I. Mail, for it speaks to an era that yesterday was all about.

Top Ten Cloves: Possible Reasons Obama and Sarkozy Didn't Invite Queen Elizabeth To D-Day Ceremony

News Item: Left Out of D-Day Events, Queen Elizabeth Is Fuming

10. If she comes, that means all those crazy, drunken, British soccer fans would probably show up, as well

9. Worried that the Queen would host a dinner, and, ...Well ... The English food thing...

8. Sarkozy didn't want to hear another lecture about his wife

7. If she came, they would both be dragged back to the Queen's hotel, to play a game of cricket on her Golden Wii

6. They've already heard all her Dunkirk stories, and couldn't bear another "Spirit of Dunkirk" speech

5. Afraid the Queen will be expecting another gift- a bevy of iPhone Add-ons

4. They've already heard all her Winston Churchill stories

3. Rumors were Susan Boyle was going to come along, and sing 'La Marseillaise'

2. If the Queen brings her son, Prince Charles, then there's a major "ear" thing to deal with

1. Obama and Sarkozy wouldn't agree with Buckingham Palace, and promise not to tease Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with the "Nudge, Nudge, Wink Wink" routine