Hook, line and sinker

I HATE getting snookered. But the Washington Post pulled a fast one on me this morning. The headline read: "List is out: Obama not invited to royal wedding." Huh? The leader of the free world not invited? A snub? Has the "Special Relationship" hit a sandbar off Plymouth? After clicking in, I devour the gossipy story like a wide-eyed housewife in hair-rollers. David Beckham and Elton John are coming. Ooooh. And so are the relatives of William’s mother Princess Diana. Don't they hate the royals? Giggle. It is only in the last graf that Mr. Obama is mentioned. It turns out "only crowned heads of states are traditionally invited to royal weddings." That means mere presidential vassals like Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy of France don't merit invites. So, the Post headline was nothing more than Striped Mojarra, fish bait that I mindlessly swallowed along with the proverbial hook, line and sinker. Hey, what's up with this other headline? "In Your Face: Paparazzi take root in Washington." Hmm. Better get outta these hair-rollers ...