We saw Iphigénie en Tauride last Wednesday, and the curtain fell not only on the last opening of this season, but on the Pamela Rosenberg era. There are still three more performances of Iphigénie to attend (including one tonight; plus three Rosenkavalier and two Don Giovanni), so it’s not yet time to look back. more ›

The nicer the weather gets, the busier we get across the Ist-A-Verse. But we like being busy. Here's a peek at what we've been up to since last week! more ›

"I love that word 'relationship'. Covers all manner of sins, doesn't it? I fear that this has become a bad relationship. A relationship based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to, erm... Britain. We may be a small country but we're a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham's right foot. David Beckham's left foot, come to that. And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward, I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that." - Hugh Grant, as Prime Minister, in Love Actually more ›

, Morgan's movie for the BBC about the unusual power-sharing arrangement and strained friendship between Tony Blair and chancellor of the exchequor Gordon Brown to let Blair lead the Labour Party first, and then hand it off to Brown next. more ›

Yesterday, on Treasure Island, the Governator pretty much gave an example of just why he's crushing Phil Angelides in the polls. With San Francisco in the background, Gavin Newsom and Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez at his side, and Bush's poodle Tony Blair live via video feed, the Governator signed a bill making California the toughest state on carbon dioxide and other gases emissions. Hell, maybe the toughest locale ever. But wait, that's not all. He will also sign a bill later this week that will forbid state electric utilities from buying electricity from high-polluting plants elsewhere. more ›

Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 51. (Tony Blair and Ben Fong-Torres both pictured, and thus counted, twice). more ›

Get out the Kibbles and Bits -- UK prime minister Tony Blair, widely derided as Bush's "poodle" for his unhesitating support of the questionable Iraq war, is making an unannounced visit to the Bay Area this weekend. It'll be the first ever visit by a sitting British prime minister to the state of California. (What, Maggie Thatcher never made it out here?) more ›