from Bruce
Anecdotes
Work
• When Jerome Robbins decided to devote himself to dance, his parents opposed him. They strongly preferred that he choose a different occupation — even shoe making — and they sent him to talk to various relatives in an attempt to bring him to his senses. However, he declined to give up his ambition, and he even scrubbed floors at times to pay his dance tuition. Later, he became world famous as the choreographer of On the Town, The King and I, Peter Pan, West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Fiddler on the Roof.
• English entertainer Joyce Grenfell had a problem with amateurs stealing her material. Frequently, she received letters from people asking for copies of her sketches so that they could perform them before other people. Of course, as an entertainer, she made her living by performing that material, and so she used to write back, suggesting as kindly as possible that the amateur ought to write her own original material.
• Frederic Norton wrote the music for the successful British production Chu Chin Chow. After the show had ended, Mr. Norton went to the income tax office and asked how much he owed. The income tax man told him, Mr. Norton wrote a check, and as he handed the check over, he said, “It’s the last you will get because I am never going to work again.” True to his word, Mr. Norton never worked again.
• Choreographer Michael Bennett used to say, “Go with the talent,” although Tommy Tune worried that this advice could lead to “a chorus of misfits.” Nevertheless, Mr. Tune was grateful to Mr. Bennett for hiring him to be a member of a chorus. At one end of the chorus line was six-foot-six-and-a-half-inch Tommy Tune; at the other end was four-foot-eleven-inch Baayork Lee.
• Playwright Ferenc Molnar customarily slept late in the morning. One day, he was forced to rise early so he could serve as a witness at a court case. Standing outside his door, he was astonished at the hustle and bustle of people going about their business. “Great heavens!” he said. “Are all these people witnesses in this fool case?”
• Actor Hans Conried, a very talented actor with a very long resume, once went to a meeting with a young producer who didn’t even take his feet off his desk when Mr. Conried entered his office. The young producer said, “Well, Mr. Conried, tell me what you’ve done.” Mr. Conried looked at him and said, “You first.”
• Whenever playwright Eugene O’Neill wished not to be disturbed, he used to hang this sign on his door: “Go to h*ll.”
Writing
• Irish playwright Brendan Behan once collapsed on the street and was taken to a doctor, who gave him a cardiograph. As the needle of the cardiograph traced out on paper Mr. Behan’s faint heartbeat, the doctor joked that this was very likely the most important writing that the famous playwright had ever done. Mr. Behan replied, “Aye, and it’s straight from the heart, too.”
• Richard Brinsley Sheridan took a long time to write the final scene of his play The Critic. In fact, he still had not written it two days before the play was to open. Finally, friends locked him in a room with a supply of food and drink and refused to let him out until he had finished writing the scene.
• Following a stint as a playwright, Wilson Mizner became a Hollywood scriptwriter. One day, he told a plot to a producer, who said it had no audience appeal. Mr. Mizner replied, “The tale I just told you was The Deep Purple. It ran for two years on Broadway, and I wrote it.”
• After becoming famous for his G-rated stories about growing up, Sam Levenson was the victim of a bon mot by George S. Kaufman. Three little old ladies were walking down the street. Mr. Kaufman saw them and said, “Here come Sam Levenson’s writers.”
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***
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Presenting
Michael Egan
U.S.A. said:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "American Wire" (Featuring John Allaire)
EP: FIND YOUR VOICE
Artist: Friends of Steve
Artist Location: Ottawa, Canada
Info:
“Mostly Stephen K. Donnelly with occasional (and hopefully more) collaborations with other artists. Owner/operator of Tenvolt Audio in Ottawa, Canuckistan.”
“The fourth Friends of Steve album, featuring a variety of guest singers and musicians. Because no one wants to hear my voice.”
Price: Name Your Price (Includes FREE) for three-track EP
Genre: Alternative. Basement. Singer-Songwriter
Links:
FIND YOUR VOICE
Friends of Steve
Tenvolt (Another Steve Project)
Other Links:
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Michael Egan
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Reader Comment
Current Events
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny but on the cool side.
Spaceflight Delayed One Day
Shatner
You'll have to wait ever-so-slightly longer to see Star Trek actor William Shatner head to space. Blue Origin has delayed Shatner's launch aboard NS-18 by a day to October 13th at 9:30AM Eastern following predictions of strong winds in West Texas. The rough weather was the "only gating factor," Blue Origin said in a statement, noting that the passengers began their training today (October 10th).
Shatner's flight is a publicity grab on multiple levels. It's no secret that Jeff Bezos' outfit is eager to have Captain Kirk reach space, but Shatner will also be the oldest person to make such a journey at 90 years old. The previous record-setter, aviation legend Wally Funk, traveled aboard a Blue Origin flight at 82 years old. Other passengers include Blue Origin mission VP Audrey Powers and two corporate executives, Planet Labs' Chris Boshuizen and Medidata's Glen de Vries.
The timing isn't great beyond the weather. The liftoff will come just weeks after an essay described a "toxic environment" at Blue Origin, including an alleged reluctance to deal with sexual harassment as well as poor attitudes toward safety, the environment and basic internal criticism. Shatner's flight might create positive buzz, but it might also paper over issues within Blue Origin's ranks.
Shatner
Beatle Breakup
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney has revisited the breakup of The Beatles, flatly disputing the suggestion that he was responsible for the group’s demise.
Speaking on an episode of BBC Radio 4’s “This Cultural Life” that is scheduled to air on Oct. 23, McCartney said it was John Lennon who wanted to disband The Beatles.
“I didn’t instigate the split,” McCartney said. “That was our Johnny.”
The band’s fans have long debated who was responsible for the breakup, with many blaming McCartney. But McCartney said Lennon’s desire to “break lose? was the main driver behind the split.
Confusion about the breakup was allowed to fester because their manager asked the band members to keep quiet until he concluded a number of business deals, McCartney said.
Paul McCartney
Nixes Political Career
George Clooney
George Clooney on Sunday ruled out having a second career in politics, saying he would rather have a “nice life” and is looking to reduce his workload.
Nevertheless, the 60-year-old actor and director waded into politics during an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr. Clooney, a long-time supporter of U.S. President Joe Biden, described America as a country that is still recovering from the damage caused by Donald Trump.
When asked whether he had any intentions of running for office, Clooney was quick to dismiss the idea.
“No, because I would actually like to have a nice life,” said Clooney, who appeared on the show to promote his new movie, “The Tender Bar.”
“I turned 60 this year and I had a conversation with my wife and we were working a lot, as we both do, and I said we have to think of these as the halcyon years,” he said. “In 20 years, I will be 80 and that’s a real number. Doesn’t matter how much you work out, what you eat, you’re 80 and so I said we have to make sure we enjoy and live these years in the best possible way.”
George Clooney
Weekend Box Office
“No Time to Die”
After over 18 months of pandemic delays, “No Time to Die” opened on target. The final James Bond film of the Daniel Craig era grossed $56 million from 4,407 North American theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday, to easily take the first-place spot.
It didn’t break any pandemic or 007 records, but it didn’t fall significantly short either and is in fact the fourth-best opening in the 25-film series. James Bond isn’t Marvel when it comes to opening weekends. Bond has always had an older audience which is typically less inclined to rush out for the first weekend. In fact, the best Bond opening ever didn’t even crack $100 million. It was $88.4 million for “Skyfall” which debuted to in 2012.
In second place was last week’s No. 1 film “ Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which fell 64% from its record $90 million launch, earning $32 million in its second weekend. The Sony sequel, which is also playing exclusively in movie theaters, has earned $185.6 million globally to date.
Aside from Bond, it was a relatively quiet week at the box office. Other newcomers included A24’s haunting Icelandic film “Lamb,” which earned $1 million from only 583 theaters and Bleecker Street’s “Mass,” which opened on four screens to $14,457.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “No Time to Die,” $56 million.
2. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $32 million.
3. “The Addams Family 2,” $10 million.
4. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” $4.2 million.
5. “The Many Saints of Newark,” $1.5 million.
6. “Free Guy,” $1.3 million.
7. “Lamb,” $1 million.
8. “Dear Evan Hansen,” $1 million.
9. “Candyman,” $700,000.
10. “Jungle Cruise” $214,000.
“No Time to Die”
Intervened
Mnuchin
Former President Donald Trump (R-Lock Him Up) sought to name his daughter, Ivanka Trump (R-Vacuous), to lead the World Bank in 2019, but then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin intervened to block the appointment, according to The Intercept.
In January 2019, the physician and anthropologist Jim Yong Kim, who had led the World Bank since 2012, announced he would be stepping down from his role the following month, creating a frenzy to fill the coveted position.
Kim's surprise departure presented then-President Donald Trump with the ability to reshape the leadership of the World Bank, as the international financial organization has traditionally been led by an American citizen.
As the White House assembled a list of possible successors, Ivanka Trump emerged as a favorite to the then-president, who told The Atlantic that she would have been an excellent choice because "she's very good with numbers."
Then-President Trump wanted his daughter in the role, and Mnuchin had to step in to prevent the selection.
Mnuchin
"Dress Rehearsal"
Fiona Hill
Foreign affairs and national security expert Fiona Hill warned that the U.S. is in a "dangerous moment" and has already reached a constitutional crisis as political actors try to undermine elections and call for violence.
"I think the moment is incredibly dangerous. I mean we are in a dangerous moment," Hill said on "Face the Nation" Sunday morning.
Hill, a former National Security Council official who served as a key witness in the 2019 Trump impeachment hearings as a Trump administration official, pointed to serious threats as former President Trump (R-Lock Him Up) is "clearly prepping for his return to the presidency," which he says is still rightfully his. The main threats to democracy, Hill said, aren't coming from the left end of the political spectrum.
"Unfortunately, I'm seeing the populism on the right is the most threatening at the moment," she told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan.
Hill described the January 6 assault on the Capitol as a precursor for more violence with even more detrimental consequences. She noted that former Vice President Mike Pence has been downplaying the assault, in which some rioters called for him to be lynched. The next time around, violent actors could very well take control of a key governmental building, Hill said. January 6, she said, was a "dress rehearsal" for an attempt at overtaking the government that could happen in 2022 or 2024.
Fiona Hill
Pushes The Big Lie
No. 2
The House’s second-ranking Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Beneath Contempt), repeatedly refused to say on Sunday that the 2020 election wasn’t stolen, standing by Donald Trump (R-Lock Him Up)’s lie that Democrat Joe Biden won the White House because of mass voter fraud.
More than 11 months after Americans picked their president and almost nine months since Biden was inaugurated, Scalise was unwilling during a national television interview to acknowledge the legitimacy of the vote, instead sticking to his belief that the election results should not have been certified by Congress.
“I’ve been very clear from the beginning,” he said. “If you look at a number of states, they didn’t follow their state-passed laws that govern the election for president. That is what the United States Constitution says. They don’t say the states determine what the rules are. They say the state legislatures determine the rules,” the Louisiana congressman said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Pressed by moderator Chris Wallace on whether the election went beyond a few irregularities to be considered “stolen,” Scalise responded: “It’s not just irregularities. It’s states that did not follow the laws set which the Constitution says they’re supposed to follow.”
No. 2
Gripping The World
Energy Crisis
Energy is so hard to come by right now that some provinces in China are rationing electricity, Europeans are paying sky-high prices for liquefied natural gas, power plants in India are on the verge of running out of coal, and the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States stood at $3.25 on Friday - up from $1.72 in April.
As the global economy recovers and global leaders prepare to gather for a landmark conference on climate change, the sudden energy crunch hitting the world is threatening already stressed supply chains, stirring geopolitical tensions and raising questions about whether the world is ready for the green energy revolution when it's having trouble powering itself right now.
The economic recovery from the pandemic recession lies behind the crisis, coming after a year of retrenchment in coal, oil and gas extraction. Other factors include an unusually cold winter in Europe that drained reserves, a series of hurricanes that forced shutdowns of Gulf oil refineries, a turn for the worse in relations between China and Australia that led Beijing to stop importing coal from Down Under, and a protracted calm spell over the North Sea that has sharply curtailed the output of electricity-generating wind turbines.
"It radiates from one energy market to another," said Daniel Yergin, author of "The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations."
"Governments are scrambling to get subsidies in place to avoid a tremendous political backlash," Yergin said. "There's a pervasive anxiety about what may or may not happen this winter, because of something we have no control over, which is the weather."
Energy Crisis
The Space Station
Blue 'Luminous Event'
On October 8, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet captured something strikingly rare from on board the International Space Station (ISS).
The photo – which is a single frame taken from a longer timelapse – might look like it shows a cobalt bomb exploding over Europe, but this scary-looking blue light didn't do any damage. In fact, most people would never have noticed it happening.
Instead, the frame shows something far less ominous called a 'transient luminous event' – a lightning-like phenomenon striking upwards in the upper atmosphere.
Also known as upper-atmospheric lighting, transient luminous events are a bunch of related phenomena which occur during thunderstorms, but significantly above where normal lighting would appear. While related to lighting, they work a little bit differently.
These events are particularly hard to photograph from the ground as they are both very high in the sky and also regularly obscured by storm clouds. Plus, the phenomena usually only last for milliseconds or a couple of seconds each time.
Blue 'Luminous Event'
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