PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION - ANSWER
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUFE.
KEZ RFCOG
2 contestant, one winner. The Grand Prize of an genuine aritificial Autumn leaf goes to Val of the Blogspot Tigers. Here's her answer.
Try to remember the kind of September
when life was slow and oh, so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
when grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
when you were a tender and callow fellow,
Try to remember and if you remember then follow.
Tom Jones
Good going Val.
DB
*********************
Monday, September 6, 2010
Smiles From The Depths
Whenever I find myself in the cellar of affliction, I always look about for the wine.
Samuel Rutherford
************************
When I worked as the morning DJ for a local radio station in New Hampshire, I used to arrive for work between 5:15 and 5:30. The station signed on at 6 and there was a lot to do to prepare for the very busy morning shift. One of the first items of business was to set up the coffee pot. There was always a big can of Chock Full O' Nuts (an appropriate choice of brand to describe my colleagues, I thought) and a coffee pot to brew it in. There was always a mug available and a bowl of sugar. There was a problem about the spoon, however. There were usually nothing but cheap plastic spoons around, so I brought my own metal spoon from home and kept it in my breast pocket.
Later on one day another announcer came in to the studio and remarked about always seeing the spoon. I explained why I had it, and he issued a statement which I consider a piece of wisdom which I've never forgotten. "Keep a spoon in your pocket and a smile on your face."
If Mr. Rutherford frequently finds himself in the cellar of affliction he would do well to carry a cork screw with him at all times. As a matter of fact whenever we find ourselves in any kind of fix it's a good idea to be armed with the proper mental utensils.
A positive attitude is a useful tool to start with. I believe in the basic equality of people. You've heard the saying "All men are created equal, but some are more equal than others." Affliction can be the big equalizer of men and women. I think about the Chilean miners in that respect. Even though there are many who are trying to help them, they are completely dependant upon each other to keep up their spirits and hopes for rescue. That's a deep cellar and they are the wine for each other. Because of their videos their story is known the world over. But only they know what it is really like for them. As long as they keep finding the wine and keep smiles on their faces they will survive.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUFE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Samuel Rutherford
************************
When I worked as the morning DJ for a local radio station in New Hampshire, I used to arrive for work between 5:15 and 5:30. The station signed on at 6 and there was a lot to do to prepare for the very busy morning shift. One of the first items of business was to set up the coffee pot. There was always a big can of Chock Full O' Nuts (an appropriate choice of brand to describe my colleagues, I thought) and a coffee pot to brew it in. There was always a mug available and a bowl of sugar. There was a problem about the spoon, however. There were usually nothing but cheap plastic spoons around, so I brought my own metal spoon from home and kept it in my breast pocket.
Later on one day another announcer came in to the studio and remarked about always seeing the spoon. I explained why I had it, and he issued a statement which I consider a piece of wisdom which I've never forgotten. "Keep a spoon in your pocket and a smile on your face."
If Mr. Rutherford frequently finds himself in the cellar of affliction he would do well to carry a cork screw with him at all times. As a matter of fact whenever we find ourselves in any kind of fix it's a good idea to be armed with the proper mental utensils.
A positive attitude is a useful tool to start with. I believe in the basic equality of people. You've heard the saying "All men are created equal, but some are more equal than others." Affliction can be the big equalizer of men and women. I think about the Chilean miners in that respect. Even though there are many who are trying to help them, they are completely dependant upon each other to keep up their spirits and hopes for rescue. That's a deep cellar and they are the wine for each other. Because of their videos their story is known the world over. But only they know what it is really like for them. As long as they keep finding the wine and keep smiles on their faces they will survive.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUFE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Play Your Song
The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune.
Pope Paul VI
***************
Age doesn't give us wisdom. Wisdom is always there. What age does is enable us to catch up with it. I have a quote somewhere which says don't complain about being old, it's a privilege denied to many.
Many years ago I lived in northern New Hampshire. There are a lot of mountains there. On one bright, sunny summer day I was climbing Middle Moat Mountain. I was about 35. I had my shirt off, tucked into my back pack which was over my shoulders. I was feeling great. like primary man.
On Middle Moat the timber line is very near the base, so the climb is basically on rocks and surrounded by open space. As I climbed I noticed two people way up ahead of me coming down. They saw me, I saw them. As they got closer I could see they were teenage girls. As we passed each other one girs was talking to the other one about a boy she knew and I heard her say "I still see him but he's old now. He's almost 20." I felt like turning around and saying "Come here girls. Let me teach you something about age." But I walked on.
A few months later I was directing a production of "The Fantasticks" for the local high school. In the play the boy has a line about the girl which says "She makes me young again." The high school kid playing the part kept getting it wrong and saying "She makes me feel young again." which is cute, but it's not the line. "She makes me young again" coming from a youngster is much funnier.
Finally, after correcting him many times, I had them all sit down and I told them the story of my trip up the mountain. Then I asked the kid how old he was and he said he was 18. "Oh, my God" I said. "You're almost 20? You're old. You've hit your peak. It's all down hill from now on, buddy. You're living on overtime. You're already rusting out. I suggest you get to the drug store and buy a cane, you're going to need it. Look at yourself in the mirror tonight and see the wrikles and the gray hair starting to form. You're old and done for."
They all laughed, of course. Then I asked him "And what does she do for you?" "She makes me young again" he replied. He never got the line wrong after that.
What do older people do? The same things as younger people do. They may do it with less energy but with more experience and, hopefully, with some wisdom. Life can get sweeter when our fiddle is in tune and we finally know the song.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUFE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Pope Paul VI
***************
Age doesn't give us wisdom. Wisdom is always there. What age does is enable us to catch up with it. I have a quote somewhere which says don't complain about being old, it's a privilege denied to many.
Many years ago I lived in northern New Hampshire. There are a lot of mountains there. On one bright, sunny summer day I was climbing Middle Moat Mountain. I was about 35. I had my shirt off, tucked into my back pack which was over my shoulders. I was feeling great. like primary man.
On Middle Moat the timber line is very near the base, so the climb is basically on rocks and surrounded by open space. As I climbed I noticed two people way up ahead of me coming down. They saw me, I saw them. As they got closer I could see they were teenage girls. As we passed each other one girs was talking to the other one about a boy she knew and I heard her say "I still see him but he's old now. He's almost 20." I felt like turning around and saying "Come here girls. Let me teach you something about age." But I walked on.
A few months later I was directing a production of "The Fantasticks" for the local high school. In the play the boy has a line about the girl which says "She makes me young again." The high school kid playing the part kept getting it wrong and saying "She makes me feel young again." which is cute, but it's not the line. "She makes me young again" coming from a youngster is much funnier.
Finally, after correcting him many times, I had them all sit down and I told them the story of my trip up the mountain. Then I asked the kid how old he was and he said he was 18. "Oh, my God" I said. "You're almost 20? You're old. You've hit your peak. It's all down hill from now on, buddy. You're living on overtime. You're already rusting out. I suggest you get to the drug store and buy a cane, you're going to need it. Look at yourself in the mirror tonight and see the wrikles and the gray hair starting to form. You're old and done for."
They all laughed, of course. Then I asked him "And what does she do for you?" "She makes me young again" he replied. He never got the line wrong after that.
What do older people do? The same things as younger people do. They may do it with less energy but with more experience and, hopefully, with some wisdom. Life can get sweeter when our fiddle is in tune and we finally know the song.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUFE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Saturday, September 4, 2010
With A Clear Head
Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.
Albert Einstein
*******************
Is it possible the human race will ever be saved from itself? The human intellect is an amazing thing. It is capable of great imagination, control and design. And when properly employed it is responsible for marvels. But the improper use, the misuse of the mind, can cause tragedy and disaster.
When theories, opinions, false rhetoric, buzz words, sound bites. self justification, jealousy, revenge, hatred, anger, tangential suppositions, dogma, orthodoxy, cliches, bromides, intimidation, fragmentary ideas and gossip take the place of reason and genuine thinking the mental landscape is blurred by trash.
There has never been a human being who is totally innocent of messing up his head and his heart with presumptions and errors, We are led by the nose into the dark alleys of ignorance almost as easily as we breathe. It is one of those dangers that beset humans, a gremlin in disguise, a gang of marauding pirates masquerading as our own thoughts.
It may seem like a harsh and humiliating discipline, an annoying exercise and pointless task to stop and ask ourselves what we are thinking, to apply an antiseptic bandage to our mouths and a cold shower to our emotions, but if it is the only way we can stop ourselves from being fools then it's worth it.
Wisdom is an evolutionary thing. Truth is always truth but it can take many forms. Public opinion is often quite wrong and ought to be challenged at every step. It has been said that a true leader doesn't create followers, he creates more leaders. Original thought is met with scoffing and abuse, sometimes with violence, until it is honed and shaped to fit the average man's mind set and then takes it's place in the tapestry of the acceptable and soon becomes more of the same general opinion, adhered to without thought.
There will always be a real thinker in some lonely outpost, aloof and remote from the rest of us who sees clearly and knows his own heart. There's your genius. There's the leader.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUHE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Albert Einstein
*******************
Is it possible the human race will ever be saved from itself? The human intellect is an amazing thing. It is capable of great imagination, control and design. And when properly employed it is responsible for marvels. But the improper use, the misuse of the mind, can cause tragedy and disaster.
When theories, opinions, false rhetoric, buzz words, sound bites. self justification, jealousy, revenge, hatred, anger, tangential suppositions, dogma, orthodoxy, cliches, bromides, intimidation, fragmentary ideas and gossip take the place of reason and genuine thinking the mental landscape is blurred by trash.
There has never been a human being who is totally innocent of messing up his head and his heart with presumptions and errors, We are led by the nose into the dark alleys of ignorance almost as easily as we breathe. It is one of those dangers that beset humans, a gremlin in disguise, a gang of marauding pirates masquerading as our own thoughts.
It may seem like a harsh and humiliating discipline, an annoying exercise and pointless task to stop and ask ourselves what we are thinking, to apply an antiseptic bandage to our mouths and a cold shower to our emotions, but if it is the only way we can stop ourselves from being fools then it's worth it.
Wisdom is an evolutionary thing. Truth is always truth but it can take many forms. Public opinion is often quite wrong and ought to be challenged at every step. It has been said that a true leader doesn't create followers, he creates more leaders. Original thought is met with scoffing and abuse, sometimes with violence, until it is honed and shaped to fit the average man's mind set and then takes it's place in the tapestry of the acceptable and soon becomes more of the same general opinion, adhered to without thought.
There will always be a real thinker in some lonely outpost, aloof and remote from the rest of us who sees clearly and knows his own heart. There's your genius. There's the leader.
DB - The Vagabond
*********************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUHE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Friday, September 3, 2010
Bathtime Bliss
I can't think of any sorrow in the world that a hot bath wouldn't help, just a little bit.
Susan Glasee
*****************
I don't currently have a bath tub and I miss it very much. I'm always amused at those pragmatic sorts who say that a shower is better than a bath because it uses so much less water, as if somehow they were both to serve the same purpose. A shower automatically wastes water as it plummets to the drain. If you stayed in the shower as long as you stay in a bath just think of the water you'd waste.
To get clean take a shower. It's a good vigorous walk in the rain.
But to slide slowly into the warm and waiting arms of acceptance, to float weightless in the ocean of the universe, to bask in the womblike center where reason and fantasies meet, to be enwrapped in the magic carpet where the mundane matters of life become just drifting clouds, to travel on warm waves of solitary journeys into unknown lands where you are wanted and loved, to visit pastoral fields of calmness and stillness, to feel the knots slowly untie themselves and the doors slowly unlock, to be where the friendly sages of the world unite in harmonious song, to float through revelations of beauty, to visit secret places where dwell the water nymphs, to glide with ease along the winds and waves of flowered paths, to be lifted up to the mystical plateau where the invisible siren song caresses you, to fly through rainbows and ascend to where the worlds hum as they glide by, to know the serene state of your own being, to let your thoughts be washed of all doubt and worry, to be safe, where no trouble can touch you for an eternity and to rise renewed, regenerated, cleansed and reborn, take a bath.
DB
************************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUHE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Susan Glasee
*****************
I don't currently have a bath tub and I miss it very much. I'm always amused at those pragmatic sorts who say that a shower is better than a bath because it uses so much less water, as if somehow they were both to serve the same purpose. A shower automatically wastes water as it plummets to the drain. If you stayed in the shower as long as you stay in a bath just think of the water you'd waste.
To get clean take a shower. It's a good vigorous walk in the rain.
But to slide slowly into the warm and waiting arms of acceptance, to float weightless in the ocean of the universe, to bask in the womblike center where reason and fantasies meet, to be enwrapped in the magic carpet where the mundane matters of life become just drifting clouds, to travel on warm waves of solitary journeys into unknown lands where you are wanted and loved, to visit pastoral fields of calmness and stillness, to feel the knots slowly untie themselves and the doors slowly unlock, to be where the friendly sages of the world unite in harmonious song, to float through revelations of beauty, to visit secret places where dwell the water nymphs, to glide with ease along the winds and waves of flowered paths, to be lifted up to the mystical plateau where the invisible siren song caresses you, to fly through rainbows and ascend to where the worlds hum as they glide by, to know the serene state of your own being, to let your thoughts be washed of all doubt and worry, to be safe, where no trouble can touch you for an eternity and to rise renewed, regenerated, cleansed and reborn, take a bath.
DB
************************
PUZZLE - WEEKEND EDITION
Labor over this.
***********************
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC UWTO EPG GUFE PCY FQ, GF ZOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC XBPGG EPG XBOOC PCY XBPWC EPG HOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB KQO NWCY FT GOIKOZSOB
EQOC HFD EOBO P KOCYOB PCY VPUUFE TOUUFE.
KBH KF BOZOZSOB, PCY WT HFD BOZOZSOB
KQOC TFUUHE.
KEZ RFCOG
Good luck.
DB
*********************
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Were You There
A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.
Emerson
******************
In life's grand quiz show of understanding ourselves called "Who Am I" there will always be unanswered questions.
I moved into my apartment here on September 9, 2001, two days before the attack on the World Trade Center. If I had still been in New York I either would have seen it happen or I would have been stuck in a subway station underneath it.
It wasn't long before the films and video tapes were processed and we could see the results on the ground and how people reacted to it. I noticed that there were basically three types of people. There were those who stood in stunned, shocked silence. I knew one of them. There were those who ran away from it in panic. I don't refer to the inhabitants of the building. They had a perfect right to run away from it. I also knew one of them. I mean the ones in the vicinity who turned and fled the scene as fast as they could. And then there were those who ran towards it.
There were the first responders from the police and fire departments. But there were ordinary people who ran to see what they could do to help. A temporary clinic was set up in a local church. That church also housed a theatre where I had performed several times. I could have been very helpful directing people to that church and seeing that those who needed it were in and comfortable. I could have helped the medics who were caring for the injured. Who knows what I could have done?
Of those who did not run away there were a great many volunteers, ordinary people, who found some way of helping those who had barely survived the disaster and the police and fire fighters who had been overcome with smoke and exhaustion.
I have often wondered over the past 9 years what I would have done if i had been in proximity to that event. I was only a few blocks away from it waiting for my train. I had a clear view of the WTC from where I was standing. If I had already boarded the train I would have been underneath it when it happened. In either case I could have been very helpful to people who were suffering. What would I have done? Would I have stayed as far away from it as I could? Would I have stood post and pillar still in shock? Or would I have gone towards it and gotten involved?
The answer is: I don't know. It took a lot of courage to be in that neighborhood. Nobody really knew what was going to happen next. The building was on fire. People who could were jumping out of windows to their deaths to avoid being burned alive. I had worked off and on at a firm in the upper floors. People I knew and had worked with were dying, nice people, good people. The surrounding streets were strewn with body parts. Frantic evacuations were taking place in overcrowded elevators and stairways. The building was collapsing. How much of it would fall on the surrounding structures and the people below? It took heroic courage for anyone to go there and stay there. Would I have done it?.
That is a question I will never have the answer to. I like to think I am a brave man. I've faced up to other frightening experiences. But about that one I will never know. I wasn't there.
Dana
The Vagabond
********************
SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
Only 7 responses so far. Summer is about to close her gates. Get with it. Don't be left out in the heat.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
********************
Emerson
******************
In life's grand quiz show of understanding ourselves called "Who Am I" there will always be unanswered questions.
I moved into my apartment here on September 9, 2001, two days before the attack on the World Trade Center. If I had still been in New York I either would have seen it happen or I would have been stuck in a subway station underneath it.
It wasn't long before the films and video tapes were processed and we could see the results on the ground and how people reacted to it. I noticed that there were basically three types of people. There were those who stood in stunned, shocked silence. I knew one of them. There were those who ran away from it in panic. I don't refer to the inhabitants of the building. They had a perfect right to run away from it. I also knew one of them. I mean the ones in the vicinity who turned and fled the scene as fast as they could. And then there were those who ran towards it.
There were the first responders from the police and fire departments. But there were ordinary people who ran to see what they could do to help. A temporary clinic was set up in a local church. That church also housed a theatre where I had performed several times. I could have been very helpful directing people to that church and seeing that those who needed it were in and comfortable. I could have helped the medics who were caring for the injured. Who knows what I could have done?
Of those who did not run away there were a great many volunteers, ordinary people, who found some way of helping those who had barely survived the disaster and the police and fire fighters who had been overcome with smoke and exhaustion.
I have often wondered over the past 9 years what I would have done if i had been in proximity to that event. I was only a few blocks away from it waiting for my train. I had a clear view of the WTC from where I was standing. If I had already boarded the train I would have been underneath it when it happened. In either case I could have been very helpful to people who were suffering. What would I have done? Would I have stayed as far away from it as I could? Would I have stood post and pillar still in shock? Or would I have gone towards it and gotten involved?
The answer is: I don't know. It took a lot of courage to be in that neighborhood. Nobody really knew what was going to happen next. The building was on fire. People who could were jumping out of windows to their deaths to avoid being burned alive. I had worked off and on at a firm in the upper floors. People I knew and had worked with were dying, nice people, good people. The surrounding streets were strewn with body parts. Frantic evacuations were taking place in overcrowded elevators and stairways. The building was collapsing. How much of it would fall on the surrounding structures and the people below? It took heroic courage for anyone to go there and stay there. Would I have done it?.
That is a question I will never have the answer to. I like to think I am a brave man. I've faced up to other frightening experiences. But about that one I will never know. I wasn't there.
Dana
The Vagabond
********************
SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
Only 7 responses so far. Summer is about to close her gates. Get with it. Don't be left out in the heat.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
********************
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Getting It Right
The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity.
Harlan Ellison
**********************
If anyone who is not in show business, and some that are, really understood what a good actor does, they would be super impressed by the artistry of the great ones. As an actor I will go to the theatre or a film and watch actors working. That gives me a different point of view about the piece than most people have, maybe even a broader point of view. I can enjoy both the play and the players.
There are some great actors, some very good ones and some very bad ones whose careers seem endless. Sloppy work in any enterprise is bad and should not be allowed. I used to be one of those sloppy actors, I'm ashamed to say. But one day, early in my career, that changed for good.
I was playing Casio in Shakespeare's "Othello" at a theatre in New England. Casio has a speech to Desdamona asking for her help. Late in the rehearsal period, when we all knew our lines, the stage manager, who was a very benign, quiet and polite fellow, came to me with a sheet of paper. He said "I think you should know the difference between the way you are speaking this speech and the way Shakespeare wrote it." I took the paper and thanked him. Back home I looked it over and was stunned to see how much I had turned Shakespeare's golden verbiage into pedestrian muck. I immediately rememorized the speech and went through the rest of the role making sure I had the words right.
That was a greet lesson and blessing for me. From that day on I was always conscientious about getting the lines the way the author wrote them. I wish I could say the same for others.
Years later I was stage manager for a production of "Godspell." You may remember it, a musical loosely based on the Bible. I frankly wondered how some of the people in this production got cast. The actor playing the John the Baptist character was a phoney. But the one playing Jesus was worse. He was a poster boy for self-importance. He played everything facing the audience so they could see how good looking he was, he spoke over his shoulder to any character that was speaking to him and he had little respect for the script.
That character has a famous quote from the Bible about overcoming temptation, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." You've probably heard that quote often. Well, he persisted in gestating it wrong no matter how many times I corrected him. He was offended at being corrected by me and didn't think it was important. Only he was important.
And so for many performances he went on stage and said "The flesh is willing but the spirit is weak." He made it sound as if that messiah needed some viagra.
There is no reason or excuse in our lives for that kind of stupidity. Can you imagine an actor playing Hamlet who says "Not to be or to be, that's the dilemma"? Hisses would resound.
Do I wonder what ever happened to that actor? I don't. I don't wish him any harm, but he is not important. People like that take up time, space and roles that other actors could play better.
I hark back to an old saying "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well." We can't do everything there is to do, but whatever we have to do we should do correctly. If nothing else it allows us to have a good night's sleep.
DB - The Vagabond
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SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
Only 7 responses so far. Summer is about to close her gates. Get with it. Don't be left out in the heat.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
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Harlan Ellison
**********************
If anyone who is not in show business, and some that are, really understood what a good actor does, they would be super impressed by the artistry of the great ones. As an actor I will go to the theatre or a film and watch actors working. That gives me a different point of view about the piece than most people have, maybe even a broader point of view. I can enjoy both the play and the players.
There are some great actors, some very good ones and some very bad ones whose careers seem endless. Sloppy work in any enterprise is bad and should not be allowed. I used to be one of those sloppy actors, I'm ashamed to say. But one day, early in my career, that changed for good.
I was playing Casio in Shakespeare's "Othello" at a theatre in New England. Casio has a speech to Desdamona asking for her help. Late in the rehearsal period, when we all knew our lines, the stage manager, who was a very benign, quiet and polite fellow, came to me with a sheet of paper. He said "I think you should know the difference between the way you are speaking this speech and the way Shakespeare wrote it." I took the paper and thanked him. Back home I looked it over and was stunned to see how much I had turned Shakespeare's golden verbiage into pedestrian muck. I immediately rememorized the speech and went through the rest of the role making sure I had the words right.
That was a greet lesson and blessing for me. From that day on I was always conscientious about getting the lines the way the author wrote them. I wish I could say the same for others.
Years later I was stage manager for a production of "Godspell." You may remember it, a musical loosely based on the Bible. I frankly wondered how some of the people in this production got cast. The actor playing the John the Baptist character was a phoney. But the one playing Jesus was worse. He was a poster boy for self-importance. He played everything facing the audience so they could see how good looking he was, he spoke over his shoulder to any character that was speaking to him and he had little respect for the script.
That character has a famous quote from the Bible about overcoming temptation, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." You've probably heard that quote often. Well, he persisted in gestating it wrong no matter how many times I corrected him. He was offended at being corrected by me and didn't think it was important. Only he was important.
And so for many performances he went on stage and said "The flesh is willing but the spirit is weak." He made it sound as if that messiah needed some viagra.
There is no reason or excuse in our lives for that kind of stupidity. Can you imagine an actor playing Hamlet who says "Not to be or to be, that's the dilemma"? Hisses would resound.
Do I wonder what ever happened to that actor? I don't. I don't wish him any harm, but he is not important. People like that take up time, space and roles that other actors could play better.
I hark back to an old saying "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well." We can't do everything there is to do, but whatever we have to do we should do correctly. If nothing else it allows us to have a good night's sleep.
DB - The Vagabond
***********************
SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
Only 7 responses so far. Summer is about to close her gates. Get with it. Don't be left out in the heat.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
********************
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