There, a suddenly discovered ability of President Trump to read from a teleprompter caused newsreaders across the political spectrum, including CNN whom he's maligned, to wax poetic. Some even gushed -- as Van Jones of CNN did, calling it "one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics, period". And then Trump claimed Obama had had him wiretapped in a bid to distract from the Russian connection.
All of this brings me back to planet Earth and to recognise, as I do from time to time, how lucky we are to live in this city. All of us.
I've described before the grace of its physical beauty of surroundings and the marked civility of its discourse and the contributions to that atmosphere by its diversity and its volunteerism. This newspaper has made a point of highlighting the new or returned people who have chosen to live here.
This past weekend offered another of those attributes that makes Whanganui such a liveable place ... Friday evening marked the opening of the 2017 Belton Smith Associates Whanganui Arts Review.
It was a treat for the eyes to see the finished works of so many of our local artists on exhibition at Sarjeant On the Quay -- an exhibition which runs until May 14.
What's initially impressive is the sheer variety of the 107 works on display, as well as the quality of accomplishment within the respective disciplines. Included are a range of media from painting to ceramics to sculpture in 3D and in 2D (video), representing the panorama of artistic approaches and ambitions from our large community of artists.
To mark the high standards of achievement, several works earned well-deserved awards. But that distinction is not to distract from the time well-spent on looking at each of these contributions -- these works, are, after all, just a small selection from the greater number of compositions that our community of artists are constantly making. It's that community and the ferment of their creativity that adds so much to the city's atmosphere as a centre of innovation, and marking the city -- as mayor Hamish McDouall described it -- as the arts centre of New Zealand.
The exhibition brings back hope of the resilience of the indomitable human spirit, particularly in a time when even thought itself is under siege by the deliberate sowers of doubt and of ignorance.
While the exhibits reflect the large number of artists in our midst, the exhibition space -- Sarjeant On the Quay -- is part of a promise and of a larger work in progress, the Sarjeant Gallery.
The gallery trust is working hard to complete its necessary funding this year in order to be able to return the vast collection of artworks that distinguish this city to its rightful place, crowning the hill above Majestic Square.
Just stand at the bottom of that hill and imagine looking up to an absence of that wonderful neo-classical building. Fortunately, if everyone pitches in we won't have to.
Instead, when the Sarjeant reopens in 2020, we can take comfort in the motto that the past is prologue -- or, in other words, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
�Jay Kuten is an American-trained forensic psychiatrist who emigrated to New Zealand for the fly fishing. He spent 40 years comforting the afflicted and intends to spend the rest afflicting the comfortable
