The Ancient One, Blessed Be He

Bright Spots on a Rainy Day

2010-12-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

As we sit in the midst of the 6^th consecutive day of rain in Southern California, The Ancient One decided to find some bright spots. Fortunately, he regularly takes pictures along the way on his morning walks and he found some flower images stored in his cell phone's memory.

So, here are a couple of bright spots to cheer up a rainy day:

Enjoy!

Dave Brubeck is 90

2010-12-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Today is jazz great Dave Brubeck's 90^th birthday and that brings back some wonderful memories for The Ancient One. I first saw the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1959 at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. What a night! Brubeck was joined by Paul Desmond on Sax, Joe Morello on Drums and Eugene Wright on Bass. It was truly the way straight ahead jazz was meant to be heard; a small rather smoky little club. 51 years later The Anceint One has not forgotten.

The Ancient One is Back on the Boards

2010-10-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well, rehearsals have gone well and The Ancient One has begun to believe that he really is Grandpa Martin Vanderhof in Hart and Kaufman's Pulitzer Prize winning play, You Can't Take it With You. (YCTIWY) This production opens Friday at Manhattan Beach Community Church and will be there for 5 performances (October 15, 16, 17, 22 & 23). This character and play are so much fun. And it has been wonderful working as part of such a great ensemble cast.

Below is the official cast photo, thanks to the talents of photographer Stephan Cooper:

And, in a moment of blatant self-promotion, The Ancient One offers up another of Cooper's photos, taken during a dress rehearsal:

So, if you have some time and want to see the MBCC production of YCTIWY, you can make reservations by calling Nancye at (310) 379-3139.

Remember that Grandpa says, "Life is pretty simple if you just relax." So come on out and relax. . .and laugh. . .and say hi to The Ancient One after the show.

Getting to be Grandpa Again

2010-09-02T14:27:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One's season with Culver City Public Theatre (CCPT) ended last Saturday. Actually, the 2011 season in Carlson Park ended on Sunday, August 22 and was very successful. But the Popcorn Children's Theatre production of The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk was invited to do 2 performances last Saturday as part of the Long Beach Sea Festival and we had large, appreciative audiences at the Bixby Park Band Shell.

It was fun being The Old Man and serving as co-producer of the production. And Heidi Dotson wrote another amazing script with venerable old story being narrated by the cutest cow you ever did see.

But now it's on to a new production for The Ancient One. He has been cast once again as Grandpa Martin Vanderhof in the 1936 Pulitzer Prize winning play, You Can't Take It With You. It was great fun trying to bring this amazing character to life in the summer of 2009 for CCPT. Now he gets to be grandpa again and will be on stage to reprise the role at Manhattan Beach Community Church (MBCC) for 5 performances in October (15 ,16, 17, 22, 23). Thanks to that chance meeting with Director Alan Peterkofsky while walking through a shopping center in June. . .and his invitation to the auditions.

It's not often that an actor gets to play out the antics of a character as wonderful as grandpa. But to get to do it a 2^nd time is pure joy. Rehearsals are going well and learning the lines seems easier this time. Being part of a wonderful cast helps too. I'll talk more about this later and I'm looking forward to seeing many familiar faces in the MBCC audiences come mid-October. Join us there!

Family Portrait (partial)

2010-08-13T13:13:00.001-07:00

It's 3 weeks since neighbors Janette and Paul got married. A wonderful evening for 2 special people. And, of course, pictures were taken including this one of The Ancient One with wife Donna flanking offspring Seth and Alicia. (It would have been nicer if the Brooklyn branch of the family could have been in the photo with us.)

Enjoy!

A Voice and Memory From the Past

2010-08-12T12:19:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One spends too much time on Facebook. But every now and then something happens that makes it all worthwhile. A few weeks ago I received a "friend request" from a woman who wondered if I was someone she knew many years ago when our families were friends and near neighbors. As soon as she mentioned her maiden name I knew who she was; I had not seen her or anyone in her family since some time before I left Detroit nearly 50 years ago. I accepted the friend request.

Earlier this week, my new old friend posted the following photo on Facebook:

When I saw the post, I gasped. I recognized it immediately. It was taken around 1943. It shows my mother, Martha Cohen (on the left) and her good friend Dorothy Masserman, in their Motor Corps uniforms. They were among a large group of women serving their country during World War II. With so many of the men away fighting in Europe and the Pacific front of the war, these women drove newly manufactured military vehicles from the automobile plant assembly lines to the railroad yards where they were shipped to military bases to be used by the troops.

The Ancient One was only about 5 years old when the picture was taken. But I clearly remember mom in her uniform. I am not sure who the photographer was but it might have been my father who was a photo buff and took a lot of pictures during that period, many of them of the Motor Corps women and troops who passed through the USO in Detroit.

Oh, what a memory. Thank you Sally.

Memories of Old Homes

2010-08-10T14:27:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One has lived in many locales over his 6-dozen+ years. Born and raised in Detroit (MI), he spent 4 years in Chapel Hill (NC), followed by 7 in Albany (NY), then 9½ in Springfield (IL) and finally bringing back Donna home to southern California nearly 30 years ago. Memories of some of those early homes were brought to mind (and eye) earlier this year.

First, son Seth and friends started the MLB baseball season touring stadiums "back east." After watching my beloved Tigers at Comerica park in downtown Detroit, he called and asked for my "boyhood address." Soon thereafter, my cell phone vibrated and the following visual message appeared:

That is a photo of 2265 Chicago Boulevard in Detroit where The Ancient One spent much of his youth. His family moved in 1-week before his 7^th birthday (1/19/45) and remained there for 12 years. It looks better now than I remember it being then. Looks like folks have taken good care of that old house in the more than 50 years since I left it. (As a side note, most of the time we lived in that house, the house to the left was occupied by the Campeau family and for a few years the house with its edge just visible on the right housed my aunt and uncle Sibby and Sam Glucksman.) It was a grand old house and at some point in the future I may proffer some memories of momentous occasions that took place within its walls.

Then, a couple of months ago, oldest son Bill's boyhood friend Derek Reynolds was back visiting his parents in Springfield, IL and posted a picture on Facebook of the house they still occupy. I messaged him and asked if he might have a chance to take and post a picture of the house 2 doors away where I lived. A few minutes later, this appeared:

There you see 820 S. Park in Springfield, IL. I'm not sure exactly what year I moved into the house; my guess is that it was about 1975 or 76. Bill spent summers there when he was visiting from Hawaii. I was living there when Donna moved to Springfield and married me and that's where we lived when daughter Alicia was born. Central Illinois was so flat that Donna liked telling folks that our driveway was the steepest hill in Springfield. We always liked that big front porch and it looks like the wooden swing is still hanging there. That house is now nearly 100 years old. There are interesting stories about it that I hope to share one day.

Well, that's it. Two houses from The Ancient One's distant past. Thanks to Seth and Derek for the pictures. Enjoy!

The Ancient One Returns

2010-08-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One returns. It has been exactly one year since he last posted here and it seems about time to start again. He's not sure what happened after he returned from that wonderful August, 2009 trip. When last seen blogging, it was about his oldest granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah. He planned to write more. . .but his blogpen fell silent.

It would be easy to blame the silence on writer's block, or too much Facebook, or too much game time on the internet. But that doesn't matter. A lot has happened in the past 12 months about which he should have been writing. Some of that will appear in the coming months but many of the passing events, thoughts and feelings will remain in that silent ether.

So, off to post this now before he finds another excuse to continue his personal void. For now, The Ancient One is back and, hopefully, this is the restart of something good and occasionally interesting.

The Ancient One Dances in Brooklyn

2009-08-09T07:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was wonderful. Granddaughter Jolee did a magnificent job on her Bat Mitzvah day. She was articulate, eloquent and beautiful. The synagogue service was most enjoyable and the Hawaiian themed party last night was joyful and fun. Wonderful memories will be carried away and more will be written about the day in the future.

One unusual happening at the party last night was the sight of The Ancient One dancing with Donna. Son Seth recorded the event by grabbing the camera and capturing his parents gliding (?) along the dance floor. Thanks Seth!

Now on to our last full day of celebration with all the children and grandchildren here in Bay Ridge. . .

Random Views in NYC

2009-08-06T20:40:00.001-07:00

Donna and The Ancient One have completed the first 2 full days of their visit to New York. These were the try to "see things days" prior to the "family event days" beginning tomorrow. The highlight of the visit will be the Bat Mitzvah of granddaughter #1 on Saturday.

Yesterday was spent in "the City," more specifically in midtown Manhattan. After lunch with son Bill (father of the Bat Mitzvah girl), we wandered and walked and walked and wandered leading up to the evening's highlight, a wonderful performance of Altar Boyz. A few pictures were taken, 2 of which are offered here. First, a kind stranger shot a photo of The Ancient One and Donna just after their ride on the Merry-Go- Round in Bryant Park. (Those who know her will truly appreciate that Donna is astride a frog, rather than a horse):

Then, as we wandered up 5^th Avenue, we spotted the spires of St Patrick's Cathedral and decided to stop by for a visit. In this picture I sort of like the juxtaposition of this great edifice with the glass high rise behind it.

Today we wandered through the area where son Bill and family live and where our hotel is located, the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. We did have some good food and visited a lot of stores and The Ancient One took just one photo along the way. It is of a rather common stone urn on the porch of a home on 86^th Street between 3^rd and 4^th Avenue. Why this picture? Well, there were 2 flower urns just like it in front of the house in which The Ancient Grew did much of his growing up, on Chicago Boulevard in Detroit (ages 7-21 from 1945 to 1959). It just hit me when I saw it and the photo became necessary.

And the day ended on a high note as The Ancient One was surrounded by Donna, all 3 of his children and both of his granddaughters this evening at the Brooklyn Cohen's residence in Bay Ridge. The next few days will surely bring forth many tears of joy. This is one of those wonderful weeks we occasionally get to experience to the fullest extent possible.

Such are the random thoughts and views of the first part of our visit.

YCTIWY Portrait – CCPT 2009

2009-07-30T16:01:00.001-07:00

Here is a portrait of most of the cast members (mugging for the camera) in the Culver City Public Theatre (CCPT) production of You Can't Take It With You which closes with 2 final performances on Saturday and Sunday, August 1-2 at 2:00 p.m. in Paul Carlson Park:

Seated in front is Grandpa Martin Vanderhof (The Ancient One); leaning on his knee is Mr. Di Pinna (J.T. Moyé)

The row behind him L/R: Kolenkhov (Robert Kane), Essie (Hilary Chen), Alice (Katrina Straub), Penny (Donna Donnelly) and Rheba (Megan Beasley)

Back row L/R: Ed (John Glass), Tony (Kenny Seliger), Paul (Clyde FT Small), Donald (Jonathan Sherman) and Mr. Kirby (Jacques Freydont)

Missing from the photo, but equally important to the cast, are: Henderson/Mac (J-Man) (John Gutterman), Gay Wellington/Grand Duchess Olga Katrina (Laura Boccaletti), Mrs. Kirby (Melissa Skirboll), J-Man (Kamel Dickinson) and Jim (J-Man) (Chris Bonanno)

The Ancient One thanks Director John Glass for casting him in this wonderful play with such a talented cast. Thanks also to Assistant Directors Michele Howden & Elaine Russell, the "world's best" Stage Manager Suze Campagna, special effects master Paul Porter and Producer Milton Chen. What a great production team!!

As we draw this run to a close, all I can think of are the words of Grandpa, uttered 3 times in the play in totally different contexts, "WELL, WELL, WELL!"

Where Have All the Peafowl Gone?

2009-07-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

A few years back there was a nasty political fight in the neighborhood over the number of peafowl gracing our streets, lawns, rooftops, yards, etc. It seemed that people either loved these regal birds or hated them. The Ancient One fell in the "love 'em" category. Yes, I know they are loud, almost like a baby crying in the night. Yes, I hear neighbors complain about how messy they are and how destructive they are of plant life. Well, my garden hasn't suffered and, quite frankly, I find the flocks of crows to be far messier.

Anyway, the fight went all the way to the City Council and an ordinance was passed that allowed for a "thinning out" of the flock. The city, apparently, would supervise the trapping of peafowl and shipping them off to what was described as a "sanctuary" in Colorado. The peafowl population dropped and neighbors started being pleasant to each other again.

But since that happened, the flock has been growing. This past Spring it was larger than I had ever seen and The Ancient One just knew that the fight would start again. This time, maybe because there were so many peafowl about, there was no public fight. Even I had to admit that it might be wise to "thin out" the flock a bit. And sure enough, while not becoming major news, there were references in the local weekly that the City Council had passed a couple of ordinances. One made it a crime, a misdemeanor I'm sure, for citizens to feed the birds. The other provided for the trapping and shipping of the birds in order to reduce the crop. This, by the way, raised a question in The Ancient One's simple mind. How were the peafowl lured into the traps? Was food placed inside these cage like structures to entice them? If so, were city employees breaking the law by feeding peafowl? Or, as agents of the government, were they exempt from the provisions of the anti-feeding regulations?

Anyway, this program must have been carried out successfully. Although I saw no public announcement about the "trap them and ship them" campaign, almost overnight peafowl disappeared. Only a few remain like this lonely peacock I spotted the other day:

In addition, I have seen only 2 or 3 peahens, one of whom had 3 of the smallest peachicks (Is that the right word?) I have ever seen with her. The disappearance of so many peafowl has made The Ancient One wonder if the goal was to eliminate the flock rather than just thin it out. In the absence of a public outcry, I guess I'll never know.

At least a few of these beloved birds remain in the neighborhood. And when they are spotted, they will continue to bring a smile to The Ancient One's face.

CCPT 2009 Season – Weekend 1

2009-07-21T23:45:00.001-07:00

What a week it was! The final dress rehearsals and then into Carlson Park for the opening weekend of Culver City Public Theatre's (CCPT) 2009 season. A bit of drama on the opening day when there were problems getting power for the sound system. Finally, everything was up and running 20 minutes before "curtain."

The weekend opened with the CCPT Children's Popcorn Theatre production of Aunt Fondeen and the Lost Dutchman Goldmine (written by Heidi Dotson, a CCPT member of several years. The audience loved it both days. Only 2 pictures are offered here (with apologies to all cast members not pictured).

Harold (Stefan Tabencki) and Aunt Fondeen (Osa Danam) riding off in Betsy Hacklebarney

Crazy Walt (Kamel Dickinson) and P. Pierpoint Ragright (Josh Gren)

The main stage production of Kaufman and Hart's You Can't Take It With You, directed by John Glass followed. It also was greeted by an appreciative audience that was entertained by both the antics on the stage and the special effects emanating from back stage. Since The Ancient One was in the cast, Milton Chen graciously agreed to take pictures, 2 of which follow (with a plan to bring forth more at a later date).

Grandpa (The Ancient One) with Ed (John Glass) and Essie Hilary Chen) Carmichael

Penny (Donna Donnelly), Tony (Kenny Seliger), Mr. De Pinna (J.T. Moye) and Grandpa

All in all it was a truly wonderful weekend with a combined audience of about 240. Now on to the rest of the season. And, of course, a shameless plug: Information can be found at www.ccpt.org .

6 Days and Counting (CCPT)

2009-07-12T18:39:00.001-07:00

Only 6 days until the opening of Culver City Public Theatre's (CCPT) 2009 season. The Ancient One will be appearing as Grandpa Martin Vanderhof in You Can't Take It With You, a Pulitzer Prize winning comedy by Hart and Kaufman.

The Tech Weekend in Carlson Park went well. We actually completed a complete run through of the play today and it felt good. The Ancient One has really enjoyed working with such a talented cast and feels that the 3 weekend, 6 performance run will be a success. Now we just have our final 4 rehearsals to polish the performance, costumes and (numerous) props and we will be ready for those wonderful audiences that appear in Culver City's Carlson Park every summer.

You Can't Take It With You goes up every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. starting July 18 and closing August 2. It will be preceded at noon each performance day by the CCPT Children's Popcorn Theatre production of Aunt Fondeen and the Lost Dutchman Goldmine, another 1 hour play written by Heidi Dotson. Aunt Fondeen. . . will continue for 3 additional weekends (August 8 -23). On those dates it will be followed by Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer.

For additional information, go online and visit ccpt.org. The Ancient One looks forward to seeing at Carlson Park this summer. Be sure to say hello!

It Was the 4th That Was

2009-07-06T14:47:00.001-07:00

We had a relaxing, and somewhat different, 4^th of July this year that was a lot of fun, brought back some old memories and led The Ancient One to some thoughts about Independence and Freedom.

Of course, the morning walk took precedence and it was a beautiful day without the "marine layer" that seems to have been hanging over the peninsula for so long. A special treat came about because the city of Palos Verdes Estates moved their 4^th of July Celebration from Malaga Cove to the grounds of Lunada Bay School. This resulted in a panoramic overview along the morning's route. (Unfortunately, the camera was not in hand). While my vantage point was from well above the site and from afar, the crowd and lines of flags could be seen. And voices carried well on the morning air as I listened to a young woman singing My Country Tis of Thee. . . and heard a couple of the orators holding forth.

Later in the day we joined some friends who were staying at the new, recently opened Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, less than 6 miles from our home. It was pleasant walking the grounds as Jim and Diane gave us the grand tour and then enjoying a wonderful dinner in one of the many restaurants before returning to our own home. It was at Terranea that old memories came flooding back.

This new resort is built on the land that was Marineland many years ago. When Alicia and Seth were pre-school age (she'll be 28 later this month and he's 26) we had season tickets to Marineland. We would often pack a picnic lunch and spend an hour or two there, generally seeing one of the shows (Orky and Corky were the resident performing killer whales) and always stopping by the marine hospital that cared for wounded sea life (especially sea lions), nursed them back to health and returned them to the ocean just below the cliffs. That was the pleasant part of the memories. The less than pleasant part came when the company that owned Sea World in San Diego bought Marineland and then suddenly shut it down, marked by the spiriting away of the many sea animals in the middle of the night. Folks around here have never quite gotten over that bit of corporate chicanery. It's nice to have this sparkling new resort but it isn't the same.

At various points during the day and evening, The Ancient One's thoughts turned to the meaning of the 4^th of July, reflections on independence and freedom and what is happening in the world today. Now I appreciate the flying of the flag, the wearing of lapel pins and all the patriotic speeches as much as anyone. But they are only the out trappings of freedom and patriotism. When I look at the level of intolerance around me in this country it seems that there is a disconnect between the outward symbols of patriotism and what so many of our citizens believe. Some examples.

When referenda are passed that take rights away from a minority of citizens, we hear that it must be honored because we are a democracy based upon majority rule. But those majoritarians forget the other half of the democratic principle that guarantees inalienable rights to everyone, including minorities, regardless of what the majority wants. The drafters of our constitution added a Bill of Rights for that reason although it took a long time for that ideal to start to take hold and it generally has been the judiciary that has had to take on the mantle of defining and protecting minority rights.

The Ancient One is similarly puzzled when our citizens and some political leaders insist that it is our destiny to impose their definition of democracy on other countries and cultures. It seems to me that the heart of America's own fight for independence was to reject having someone else's system of governing imposed on us. Our earliest settlers escaped persecution and came to a land where they could live their lives within their own belief systems. In a line in the play You Can't Take It With You, Grandpa tells his granddaughter, "who says that they're right and we're wrong." I might add that the reverse is equally true, "Who says that we're right and they're wrong."

The essence of America ideally is tolerance, respect for others and their way of life. We believe in freedom. I remember an old saying that "one man's freedom ends when his fist reaches another man's nose." It seems to The Ancient One that this should apply to other countries as well. We no more have the right to impose our system on other nations than they have in trying to impose their systems on us. The ability to live together in a complex world and respect those whose beliefs are different than ours is the essence of patriotism.

Okay, time to get off my soapbox and get back to my daily life.

You Can’t Take It With You at CCPT

2009-06-28T15:41:00.001-07:00

The Culver City Public Theatre's (CCPT) 2009 season opens July 18 in Carlson Park. The Ancient One has been in rehearsal in the role of Grandpa In Hart and Kaufman's, You Can't Take it With You, a delightfully raucous comedy first staged on Broadway in 1936.

This story is about a family whose members just want to live their lives in their own way without bothering anybody else. There's Martin Vanderhof (aka Grandpa), his daughter Penny and her husband Paul Sycamore, their daughters' Alice and Essie (who is married to Ed Carmichael). There's also an assortment of other characters, some who live in the house and some who don't.

The Ancient One is doing his best to get "off-book" as the Grandpa and enjoys both the richness of the character and the opportunity to play an age-appropriate character. There aren't a lot of really wonderful curmudgeons out there, but Grandpa certainly is one.

For the moment, the only photo being offered is one of the family taken at a recent rehearsal.

L-R: Grandpa (The Ancient One), Penny (Donna Donnelly), Paul (Clyde Little), Alice (Katrina Straub), Ed (John Glass) and Essie (Hilary Chen)

You Can't Take it With You is one of the funniest American plays ever written and is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of fun and hilarity. The Ancient One will look for friends in the audience. So come and enjoy free theatre this summer in Culver City.

Clearing Brush in Palos Verdes

2009-06-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

As The Ancient One reached a turnaround point on one of his walks last week, something looked quite different. He gazed down canyon at the end of a cul-de-sac and was greeted with this view:

What were all those white spots? Aging eyes weren't quite sure but he was sure that some of them were sprouting legs. With the help of the modest zoom feature on his camera and the editing capabilities on the computer, the view became a bit more clear and focused. A "modern" of clearing the brush had come to Palos Verdes in an effort to protect against brush fires.

Yes, those are goats. A herd of them had been transported into the canyon to feed themselves to distraction. They were consuming, and thereby clearing away, the heavy brush. I guess that even with transportation costs, using goats to prevent brush fires is far faster and less expensive than employing human labor.

A modern solution to a potentially serious hazard!

Wall of Fire. . .

2009-06-08T13:48:00.001-07:00

Well, not really! Just a wall of bushes with brilliant red blossoms that I have been passing on my daily walk.

Enjoy!

A Reunion and its Consequences

2009-06-02T11:18:00.001-07:00

We were in San Diego for 4 days for a Brenner family reunion. Relatives were there from Missouri, Florida and across southern California. Part of the reunion was a celebration of Sy's 87^th birthday. It was a wonderful long weekend even though there was less than an hour of sunshine the whole time.

Like any good family reunion, most of the activity was carried out in the midst of food. Dinner Friday at Harbor House in Seaport Village, Saturday night at the Jamacha Grille in El Cajon, Sunday brunch at our hotel with deli brought in from D.Z. Akin's, and a serendipitous dinner Sunday night at Brian's Eatery in downtown San Diego. Food, food and more food! Talk, talk and more talk! Memories galore. Remembering places and people long forgotten.

Oh, was it fun. Oh, was the food good. Do you think The Ancient One's cardiologist will believe him when he says that he really lost weight over the past three months . . . but then gained 8 pounds just by attending a family reunion? Well, we'll see what happens at this afternoon's appointment.

I mean, how can you go to a family reunion and not overeat? It's part of a full life. You understand, don't you Doctor?

Just Ducky

2009-05-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

There wasn't much sunshine yesterday but the ducks frolicking in the pond at Seaport Village in San Diego caught my camera's eye.

Enjoy!

Visitor #9000

2009-05-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

The 9000th visitor to The Ancient One stopped by about 11:15 p.m. PDT last night. Not positive who it was but the hit came from the Denver, CO area and was the result of a Google search on the name of a good friend of ours whose son lives in that vicinity.

If that was you David, thanks for being #9000.

Data Lost. . .and Found

2009-05-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

This is a true fable in the life of The Ancient One. It is a fable of the age of technology in which we live and how precarious data are.

The story begins a few weeks ago when Donna could not find her Palm Tungsten E2. She looked for it for several days to no avail; it was gone. As it happened, she was not happy with her current cell phone and was eligible for one of those special deal upgrades that the various providers of mobile service offer their loyal customers. So off she went and got a great deal on a Palm Centro. Now she had a combination phone/PDA and could HotSync all her data from her Palm Desktop (which she did).

As often happens, a few days after getting her new phone/PDA, Donna found the lost PDA. It also happens that my Palm Tungsten T/X had gone berserk; while I could HotSync it with the desktop, I couldn't bring up the screens. I would touch the appropriate spot on its little screen and it would act as if I touched another part of the screen. The Ancient One thought that it would be nice to get a Centro too but he is not eligible for a special deal until next January. But Donna said he could have her E2 if that would help. Of course it would. But, whenever he tried to HotSync it with his desktop, it refused to do so. Once an identity has been established on a Palm PDA, you can't just change it even though you can have several identities on the desktop.

Then The Ancient One had a brilliant idea. He would do what is called a "hard reset" on the E2, wiping it clean so he could then set it up in his identity with his data. Fair enough. But he also did a couple of other things that turned out to be less than smart. First, he thought he would try to resurrect his T/X by doing a hard reset on it, which he did. However, while that wiped the PDA clean, it did not solve the problem of the device thinking that it was being poked at distance locations on the screen from where it was being tapped. So he declared the T/X dead and got ready to HotSync his desktop to the E2.

Now here is where it gets really stupid! Before starting the HotSync, The Ancient One looked at the Palm website and found that there was an updated version of the desktop available for downloading. We all know that with technology newer is better. Right? Well, not necessarily. He downloaded the new software and installed it. It easily replaced the earlier version. Then he moved on to carry out the HotSync only to discover that there were no data to move from the desktop to the handheld. ALL THE DATA WERE GONE!

So, for the past week-and-a-half, The Ancient One has been searching for his data. He knew that the address book, datebook, and memo and notepads were somewhere on his computer. But, oh my, they were hidden well and he had nightmares about how long it was going to take to rebuild those data files. Finally, this afternoon he got lucky and found the files. It took a couple of hours but he did figure out how to transfer all those hidden backup files on to the new Palm Desktop and eventually was able to HotSync them with the handheld.

And just in time too! The next doctors' appointments are coming up in the next couple of weeks and The Ancient One really didn't want to call the various offices and try to explain why he had no idea when the appointments were.

As with all good fables, this one had a happy ending and The Ancient One is smiling again. : - D

Election Day?

2009-05-19T22:54:00.001-07:00

Today was Election Day in California. . .and hardly anybody noticed! With the exception of a handful of contests to fill vacant offices around the state, the primary purpose for voters was to decide on 6 statewide propositions supported by the Governor and legislative leaders. A "Yes" vote was supposed to address the State's enormous deficit and avoid greater shortfalls and further reductions in state programs.

It was a curious campaign. There were few TV commercials; I guess that was a blessing. The Governor occasionally was seen claiming that layoffs and program reductions would result from a no vote. The Governor voted by emergency absentee ballot before he headed off to Washington, D.C. to attend a press conference in the Rose Garden today. I had trouble finding much information on the election in today's newspapers; I think it was on page 3 of the Los Angeles Times. While I felt no great enthusiasm for the election, I did vote this afternoon and had very little wait in a very short line at the polling place. Last I heard estimated turnout was about 8% of the registered voters in the state.

But my cynicism took hold in this election. I actually believe that when the Governor threatened more layoffs of state workers and more program reductions, he wanted voters to vote know so he could blame what he wanted to do on the ballot box rather than himself and the legislature. When the first news show I turned on tonight did not report on the election results until 15 minutes had passed in the broadcast (an aftershock of last Sunday's earthquake was the lead story), it reflected that "we don't give a damn" attitude that seems to permeate the state. Yes, the elected leaders of the great progressive state of California proposed more tax increases and a lot of gobbledygook and said that they expected people who were already suffering from the economy to buy it. But I think they wanted us to vote no and it appears we did; in the early returns the NO votes exceeded 60%. It seems that one proposition is going to pass. Among other things, that one will stop salary payments to state political leaders when there is a budget deficit (or something like that).

I can hear the Governor and legislative leaders as I write this. When they decimate our schools and needed services, I can hear them saying, "The voters left us no choice." I am saddened by the total lack of leadership in what historically has been a progressive state.

These are the views held tonight by The Ancient One who generally has had a relatively positive view of those who hold political office through his 71+ years on this planet. It is a sad day in California, not because it appears that 5 of the 6 propositions failed but because the absence of leadership led to their being on the ballot in the first place.

All Shook Up

2009-05-17T21:49:00.001-07:00

It was just about an hour ago, about 8:45 p.m. PDT. I was walking down the hallway in our house. I heard a noise, like something falling. Then there was a jolt followed by a few seconds of violent shaking.

As was confirmed via "Breaking News" on the TV a few minutes later, it was an earthquake. Its magnitude was 5.0. And more important to us, the epicenter was in the Hawthorne/Lennox area, only about 15 miles from our home. Fortunately, nothing appears to have been damaged in our home. I did find one table clock that tipped over on its face, but that's it. Not even a power surge.

All is quiet now. But we are alert, waiting to see if there are any aftershocks that might be felt here. I grew up in tornado country. And although I have been through about a half dozen shakers since moving to the Los Angeles area, they still scare me more than the twisters ever did. For Donna, the California native, it's just the opposite.

And soon to bed. Just another day here in southern California.

CCPT 2009 Season

2009-05-09T22:11:00.001-07:00

Culver City Public Theatre (CCPT) has announced its 2009 summer season and The Ancient One is excited. Please treat this post as a blatant advertisement for CCPT's upcoming season.

Here's the line-up:

Children's Popcorn Theatre

Aunt Fondeen and the Lost Dutchman Goldmine
Written by Heidi Dotson
Directed by Sharon Savene
Saturdays & Sundays from July 18th-August 23rd at 12pm

Main Stage Productions

You Can't Take It With You
Written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
Directed by John Glass
Saturdays & Sundays from July 18th-August 2nd at 2pm

She Stoops to Conquer
Written by Oliver Goldsmith
Directed by Alex Wells
Saturdays & Sundays from August 8th-August 23rd at 2pm

All shows are presented admission free at Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park ON THE CORNER OF Braddock and Motor in Culver City, CA 90232.

For those interested, auditions are scheduled for: May 13 & 14, 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 16, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at The Veterans Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Avenue in Culver City (the corner of Overland and Culver Blvd.) You will be asked to do a 2-minute monologue of your choosing OR one provided to you from the play scripts. Please bring 4 headshots.

Okay, that's the ad for the season. It's going to be a very enjoyable one with much hilarity in all the productions. The Ancient One hopes to see some of you in the L.A. area at next week's auditions.

Enumerating Colors – Banners 17

2009-05-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

Well, The Ancient One's job as an enumerator for the Census Bureau is over. The crew he was on completed canvassing addresses in their assigned areas in less than 6 weeks, far less than the 10 weeks allotted for the task. The credentials and hand held computer have been returned to the government.

Completing this temporary part-time job is not all bad. My legs are very happy to not be spending any more 6-hour work days climbing up and down the hills of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. And this job ended just in time for me to take on a short consulting gig with a long time client of mine.

Since the canvassing took The Ancient One outside of his own neighborhood, he was able to view many flags and banners he had not previously come across. Three of them are now offered up as examples of the colors seen along the enumerating way.

Now on to look for other earning adventures. Enjoy!

Remembering Bea Arthur (1922 – 2009)

2009-04-26T23:00:00.001-07:00

I met Bea Arthur on January 31, 2004 at the James Armstrong Theatre in Torrance, CA where she had performed in her Tony nominated show Just Between Friends. It was a wonderful evening and was, in part, a benefit for the South Bay Conservatory and its scholarship program.

After the performance, Ms. Arthur graciously came out to the lobby to give autographs and chat with audience members. As I waited in line, I could hear those ahead of me telling her how much they loved her work, usually mentioning either Maude or Golden Girls. When I reached the head of the line and handed her my Playbill (pictured above with her autograph), I mentioned that my favorite line of hers came from the 1970 movie Lovers and Other Strangers where she played the role of Bea Vecchio, a stereotypical Italian mother. At the wedding of one of her sons in the film, another son and his wife told her that they were getting a divorce. She kept asking why and finally they said simply that it was because they were not happy. Her reply was, "You should never look for happiness, it will only make you miserable." I saw that movie at a particularly low moment in my own life and that comment truly lifted my spirits.

I would like to think that Ms. Arthur appreciated someone remembering a performance of hers other than those most often associated with her career. She did laugh when I quoted the line and she mentioned having fun doing that movie. Some 34 years after I had seen Lovers and Other Strangers, she once again brought a smile to my face. That evening in 2004 was magical. I will cherish Bea Arthur's memory and the joy she brought to all of us who saw her perform whether on stage, TV or film.

Bright Colors on a Dreary Day

2009-04-24T11:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was dark and bleak as I went out for my morning walk. It was quite a contrast from the sun and heat of the beginning of the weak. Suddenly, my eyes were assaulted with brilliant flowery colors. I took just one photo that represents what I saw.

Ah, those roses certainly brightened an otherwise dreary day. Enjoy!

Views of the Bridge

2009-04-22T21:42:00.001-07:00

I'm finally getting some time to post photos from the trip back east we took earlier this month. The day before coming home, we visited Older Son (aka BillyBlog), Melanie and granddaughters Jolee and Shayne in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. I may even post some pictures of them later. But today, I only offer up 2 views of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. (I think that's the correct name. . .or was at one time.)

The first was taken when Bill and I went out for a walk in the rain. I believe we stopped at Shore Drive.

The 2^nd was taken from their living room window after the rain stopped.

Enjoy! More soon. . .

Peafowl Escorts

2009-04-20T22:12:00.001-07:00

The past few days of my address canvassing for the 2010 census have been in my own neighborhood. This morning, a number of the peafowl seemed to be escorting me as I moved from house to house in their territory. The following 2 photos were the best that I could get.

Aren't they beautiful?

More Everyman the Musical

2009-04-19T21:07:00.001-07:00

Well, the first weekend of Everyman the Musical is over at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and there is one more week to go. Finally, a few pictures can be offered for view. They were taken by Tom Marinello, a fine photographer, who has taken pictures at most of the CSUDH theatre productions for several years. The full set of his Everyman photos can be found at http://www.marinellonet.com/csudh/everyman/index.htm.

First is a picture of the full cast (with The Ancient One at the top right) Notice especially the great costumes/makeup of the Calacas (front):

Next are the "blatant self-promotion" photos of The Ancient One in his 2 roles (the god Yahweh and Knowledge in full academic regalia):

The gods are (l-r): Zeus (Barry Maxwell), Yemaja (Joyce Johnson), Yahweh, Quetzacotl (Percival Arcibal), Ms. Hamid [special assistant to Allah] (Shonni Albritton) and Saraswati (Alexandra Clark)

(l-r) Beauty (Natalie Hickman), Knowledge, Greediness (Barry Maxwell) and EveryWoman (Dre'a Courtney)

Now, resting up through Wednesday, a brush-up rehearsal on Thursday and the final 3 performances Friday-Sunday. CSUDH University Theatre, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747. Box Office: 310-243-3589.

Everyman the Musical

2009-04-17T23:53:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One is flying tonight. He just got home from the world premiere performance of Everyman the Musical at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). The script is based on the 15^th century play Everyman. A project of the Dominguez Bridge Theatre Company, It was written by Bill DeLuca, with music included, to include recognition of the good work carried out by community organizations throughout the South Bay of Los Angeles County.

This is a special play for The Ancient One. He performs 2 roles; Yahweh (one of the gods) in Act I and Knowledge (a professor) in one of the 3 Act IIs. After the first act, the audience is divided into separate groups that rotate between each of the 2^nd acts before returning to the main theatre for Act III. It is made more special being directed by Naomi Buckley whom The Ancient One met on this same stage in his first acting performance ever in A Shayna Maidel in 1994; Naomi was a first semester freshman at the time and they have performed together in 3 other plays since then.

Everyman the Musical continues at the CSUDH University Theatre (1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA) April 18, 24 and 25 at 8:00 p.m. and April 26 at 2:00 p.m.

Opening Day at Chavez Ravine

2009-04-13T21:32:00.001-07:00

Thanks to son Seth, The Ancient One and Donna had tickets for today's home opener for the L.A. Dodgers. Our seats were in the Left Field Pavilion and offered a panoramic view of the entire stadium. The beloved Dodgers were playing the hated Giants and the 11-1 final score was to the liking of all but a few fans in the seats today.

The game's highlights were noteworthy. The paid attendance of 57,009 (I may be off by a few) was the largest in Dodger Stadium history. Newly acquired 2^nd baseman Orlando Hudson (O-Dog) hit for the cycle, the first Dodger to do so since Wes Parker in 1970 AND the first Dodger to ever do so in Dodger Stadium. Right fielder Andre Ethier contributed 2 home runs. Pitcher Chad Billingsley struck out 11 batters and gave up only 5 hits in his 7 innings on the mound. Every batter in the Dodger starting lineup had at least one hit. (Note: None of the few Giant highlights are mentioned here. After all, The Ancient One is a Dodger fan.)

Below are 3 pre-game photos. The first shows the players and coaches from both teams lined up along the baselines after being introduced, an opening day tradition in all major league ballparks.

Next is a view of the field after the flag was unfurled by the line of sailors and marines seen in the above photo.

Finally, a rear-view shot of the great Manny Ramirez (#99) warming up before the start of the 1^st inning.

It was truly a glorious day and the first "opener" anywhere ever attended by The Ancient One. Thank you Seth!

Back on the Street Where I Live

2009-04-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

We have returned from a wonderful 5 day trip to Wilmington/Newark, Delaware; the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania; and Brooklyn, New York. Even a rather sideways landing at LAX tonight could not dampen the joy we have felt the past few days spending time and the Passover Seders with Daughter Alicia. . .and the side trip yesterday to Brooklyn to see #1 son Bill and Mel and our granddaughters Jolee and Shayna.

There will be later posts about different parts of the trip (along with a few photos). But now to get some rest and prepare to attend the LA Dodgers' home opener tomorrow afternoon. And then dress rehearsals for my next on stage appearance in Everyman, The Musical at California State University, Dominguez Hills. We open Friday night and run for 2 weekends.

Such a wonderful week and so much more to come. But it does feel good to be back on the street where I live preparing to get some sleep in my own bed. Good night all! More soon.

A Memory Evoked

2009-04-08T07:11:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One arrived in Wilmington, Delaware to visit daughter Alicia for the beginning of Passover. She and her radiant smile looked great to me. We had a pleasant dinner and saw her apartment and then back to the hotel.

This morning is beautiful; bright sunshine, cloudless sky and cool (!) temperatures (just under 40 degrees). As I stepped outside, I was greeted with a sight I haven't seen in nearly 30 years. There was a Robin Red Breast hopping along the ground outside our door. It evoked memories of long ago when the appearance of the first robin was a true sign of spring. But we don't have robins in southern California, at least none that I have seen in the nearly 3 decades I have lived on the left coast.

What a wonderful way to start the day and our visit to Delaware!

Elevating Fiction to Fact

2009-04-06T22:52:00.001-07:00

When I was in college, over 50 years ago, I recall seeing a debate between our campus team and a visiting team from England. One of our bright lads buttressed his arguments with quote after quote from published writers. Not to be outdone, the first English debater stepped forward and proclaimed, "The quickest way to elevate fiction to fact is to quote someone else as having said it." I never forgot that moment.

About 30 years later, I discovered what I believed to be the quantitative corollary to the English debater's premise, to wit, "The quickest way to elevate fiction to fact is to hand someone a computer printout." People seemed to accept without question what computers spewed out, forgetting that the results were only as accurate as the data some human being fed into the computer.

A similar corollary is one that I heard from the professor on the first day of my first statistics class. He opened his lecture with the declaration, "You can prove anything you want with statistics; it's just a matter of selecting the right ones." I always think of that during election campaigns and the flow of political and economic discourse.

I don't know why I have been thinking about these things today but I have and decided to share them.

The Realities of Enumerating

2009-04-03T22:29:00.001-07:00

Well, The Ancient One has completed his first week (actually 3½ days) in the field as an Enumerator or Lister or Address Canvasser for the U.S Census Bureau and he has made some discoveries about work and life.

First, he had forgotten how much he has enjoyed his retirement where he has controlled the calendar. Although this work is part-time (no more than 30 hours per week), it's been hard adjusting to the concept of "being required" to at a specified place at a specified time. Second, it is strange having someone else as a work supervisor after several years of pretty much being his own boss.

Third, walking the streets confirming addresses of housing units is tiring to old legs, especially in this area where it seems there are not many level streets. Some of the hills are real challenges. And the amount of walking adds up. The very accurate pedometer worn on the belt is getting a workout; normal days (before enumerating) ran from the target minimum of 10,000 up to about 12,000 steps a day. On the 4 days worked this week, the pedometer tallied about 16,000 steps on 2 days and over 20,000 yesterday and today. If nothing else, The Ancient One should be in pretty good shape when the job ends in about 3 months. And there are indications that all this walking and hill climbing will also move the weight downwards. . .at last.

Most of the "counting" has been fun. I've talked to a lot of interesting people who seem to be disappointed that we aren't asking a lot of questions; only those that are necessary to make sure we are counting the correct number of housing units on a property. That can be tricky in neighborhoods where many houses have an apartment out back or above the garage. We can't miss those multi-unit properties or hidden housing units (HHUs) In some ways, I'm lucky; with the exception of one small area, almost all the housing units I have counted are single family residences. And I haven't come upon a new condominium development that wasn't standing 10 years ago. That poor enumerator had no housing units listed on the HHC (hand held computer) and had to add them all.

All-in-all, I'm enjoying myself although I'm tired. I also tried to get a few extra hours in this week since I will be gone most of next week to spend the Passover holiday with daughter Alicia in Delaware, with a "side trip" to see Bill, Melanie and the granddaughters in Brooklyn.

Now off to sleep; it's going to be a busy weekend even without counting housing units.

The Trashman Stoppeth

2009-03-31T11:11:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One, as many know, does much of his reading on his morning walks through the neighborhood. Only on rare occasions does it pose a physical threat, usually the result of walking into a parked car while engrossed in a compelling scene of a murder mystery. Now and then other walkers or neighbors wake him from his reverie with comments or questions about the reading material.

Having been noticed regularly by others as he passed along the way, he wasn't really prepared the other morning when the trash truck stopped to pick up the greenwaste as I was leaving for work. After emptying the barrels, the driver turned and came up the driveway. With a big smile and a heavy accent, he said that he often noticed my reading habit as I walked along the street. He asked what types of books I read and I gave him my standard answer about mystery novels and thrillers. Then he surprised me.

"Reading is good," he said. With a wonderful, wide smile on his face, he continued, "I always have a book with me on the truck and I always read during my lunch hour and breaks. I learn so much from reading." I must confess that he proved to me once again how much people in all walks of life want to learn and that books provide an excellent vehicle to do so. And I was delighted to know that it was the printed word on paper that helped enlighten his day.

Yes, The Ancient One agrees. Reading is good for everyone!

Enumerating. . .

2009-03-26T20:46:00.001-07:00

It’s been a quiet writing month but The Ancient One has been busy. This week, for example, he began work for the U.S. Bureau of the Census as an “Enumerator” or should I say and “enumerator in training.” The 4 days of classroom work ended today and tomorrow is field training. If all goes well, the real enumerating begins on Monday.

At this point in the year before the decennial census, the enumerators count and confirm listings of housing units. To assist us in this process, we have been training on HHCs, which in English means Hand-Held Computers. They are marvelous little machines using cellular technology (I think) and they include GPS capabilities. We’ve been running exercises on them for 4 days and now we get to show that we know what we learned. Assignments for the blocks where I am responsible for “address canvassing” will be downloaded mysteriously to my HHC and off I will go. At least all enumerators are assigned to “crews” in the area where they live and don’t have to travel far and wide across the land.

The Ancient One has learned a lot this week. But he is very tired. It is the first time he has worked a full-time week since he retired in 2006. Yeah, there have been a couple of 12-14 hour days on TV shoots but they never add up to a week of full-time, detailed work. This may be the most tiring week because once the real job begins, it won’t be full-time and it will last only for about 12 weeks. By then, it is hoped that the nationwide army of enumerators will have every possible housing unit listed on computer-based maps to be used by the “people counters” during the actual census next year.

So, “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to enumerating I go.” That’s just one reason there have been so few posts this month! The Ancient One will offer up additional comments on this new working experience in the weeks to come. Yawnnnnnnnn. . . And now to get some sleep.

An Amazing Fiddler. . .on the Roof

2009-03-15T22:18:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One has seen 2 performances of Fiddler on the Roof at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School this week and is scheduled to see 2 more before the production completes its run on Sunday, March 22. Why see it so many times? Well, son Seth is the Director and it is his 1^st musical direction effort and. . .

But I am a biased observer so I won't talk about the quality of the direction here. I won't mention the outstanding casting, selection of musical and vocal directors, choreographer, technical director and costumers. You see, my son the Director gives them all the credit, ignoring the fact that he selected the production team and cast. But I know better, even if I am a proud father who is just a little bit biased.

Instead, I will talk about the quality of the performances I witnessed although I am not sure where to begin. I guess, when you are talking about Fiddler you have to begin with Tevye. I have seen Jake Tieman perform before and I was a fan of his before this production. But I was still totally excited watching him perform. He was Tevye! He became the character and took charge of the stage. He is both an outstanding singer and actor and showed us both his skills and Tevye's soul. I particularly liked the twinkle is his eye when he had his conversations with God.

The rest of the cast was also outstanding. Golde (Kate Graham) looked like Tevye's wife and her singing voice complemented his very well. The singing and characterizations presented by the 3 older daughters Tzeitel (Mackenzie Gomez), Hodel (Samantha Hill) and Chava (Katie Segal) were outstanding and you just knew that they were sisters. Zach Barryte (Motel the Tailor) is a wonderful comic actor and provided a delightfully nuanced characterization of the bumbling young tailor. (I talked about Zach's comedy last December in my post on The Face on the Barroom Floor.) And then there was Koray Tarhan (Fyedka), the young Russian displaying both wonderful singing and dancing in the tavern. Finally, the choreography inThe Dream was brilliant, the best I have seen in any production of Fiddler, and the entire scene was made even better by Grandma Tzeitel (Dorothy Hayden) and Fruma Sarah (Christina Leslie).

I don't think I have ever singled out for plaudits so many actors in a single production. And then The Ancient One reminds himself that this was a cast of high school students. And while I have mentioned 8 performers by name, I personally want to congratulate the entire cast/ensemble for providing us with a wonderful performance. (If you click on the list below, you will get a more readable view.)

This production of Fiddler has 4 more performances, Thursday, March 19 through Sunday, March 22. There may be a few tickets left. If you are in the area, check at www.penhighdrama.com to select seats and buy tickets.

L'Chaim!!!!! And, again, CONGRATULATIONS to the cast, crew, director and entire production team!!!

2 Years and 400 posts

2009-03-10T15:30:00.001-07:00

I just realized that I flew past 2 milestones over the past 2 weeks. February 26 was the 2nd blogiversary for The Ancient One and the 400 post mark has been achieved. In a way it is all very surprising. While my writing pace has slowed down, the cantankerous old curmudgeon is still here although not quite as curmudgeonly as he expected to be.

Thank you to all who have passed this way, especially those who return on a regular basis.

Brenda Arrieta Killian (1977-2009)

2009-03-08T22:32:00.001-07:00

I was scanning my home page on Facebook Friday night when a message popped up on the screen. It was from a young woman who had been stage manager for a play I did several years ago at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). She asked, "Have you heard about Brenda." When I answered "No," she told me, as gently as possible, that Brenda had died of cancer that morning.

I first met Brenda at CSUDH when we were both cast in the play Boy by Diana Son. I was Papa Uber Alles and she was one of my daughters. Brenda was a wonderful actress and a better person. It seemed she always had a big unforgettable smile on her face. After she graduated in 2001, she went off to England where she obtained a Master's degree. When she returned, I first saw her when she walked into the lobby at Palos Verdes Players one night when I was working the box office. She was there to review the play for a local newspaper. We talked for a while, reminiscing about her trip to England, our time on stage together and a friend of mine at PV Players who had been her high school drama teacher.

The next time I saw Brenda was the fall of 2007 when I was cast at CSUDH in a new play, The Little College on a Hill which she had co-written for the Dominguez Bridge Theatre Company (DBTC). There was that huge smile and a warm hug for Papa from one of his many stage daughters. After the play closed, I saw Brenda one last time the late winter (or early spring) of 2008 when she told us at a DBTC meeting that her family was moving to Oregon. After that my only contact with her was when we became "friends" on Facebook and exchanged a note or two.

Brenda was too young and too bright to be taken from our midst. Her 2 young children lost their wonderful mother much too soon. There are a lot of us who have been struggling through this weekend trying to cope with this tragic, enormous loss. A full obituary written by Don Colburn of The Oregonian can be found here. It included this picture taken by Stephanie Yao Long of The Oregonian.

Look at that smile!! I'll never forget it or the young woman behind it! RIP Brenda. . . .

Inky Finger Tips and Old Memories

2009-02-28T22:48:00.001-08:00

A little over a month ago, I applied for a temporary job with the Census Bureau and took the qualifying exam. About 10 days ago I received a call offering me a position as an enumerator which I accepted. That means I'm a counter of some sort working in the field, possibly interviewing families although I think that part of the job won't come until next year which is the official U.S. decennial census year. This year involves all the preparation for the census itself.

My training was scheduled and rescheduled. I asked a few questions and know that my work will be in the area where I live and the job is part-time for 12 weeks. I figure that the income will finance a couple of east coast trips we have scheduled this year. So, what does all of this have to do with inky finger tips and old memories?

Before I can start training, I had to go in for fingerprinting and the filling out of forms. My appointment was yesterday (Friday) afternoon. The line was appropriately long but moved right along. The pleasant lady who took my prints was very talkative and had a lot of questions as she was rolling my fingers one-by-one on the ink pad and applying them to the cards on which the prints were recorded.

She asked me when was the last time I had been fingerprinted. I thought for a moment and told her the only time I could remember was when I enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in March of 1956. She then asked me about that service; how long, where and that kind of stuff. That's where most of the memory kicked in.

I was 18 when I enlisted for 6 years in the Marine Air Reserve. I was assigned to VMA-222, a fighter squadron at Grosse Isle Naval Air Station down river from Detroit. After testing, I was given an MOS of 6600 which classified me as an air radio technician. The squadron flew AD-4 sky raiders, a prop driven plane that served yeoman duty in the Korean War. (In fact, one of my brothers and a cousin had served in the same squadron in Korea.)

Yes, The Ancient One was a weekend warrior in his youth. I had enlisted under the Reserve Forces Act of 1955 which required that at some point during my 6 years of service, I was to do 180 days of active duty training. The rest of the service would be in the form of one weekend a month and 2 weeks during the summers. But there was a loophole in the law; it did not say when that active duty was to take place and the squadron leaders seemed to be oblivious to the fact that I had not gone to boot camp or been designated for my active duty training. (The loophole was closed in late 1956 or possibly 1957 when the Act was amended to state that new recruits were to be assigned specific dates for their active duty at the time of enlistment.)

In my case, the fact that I had not been called up for my 180 days of training wasn't discovered until the fall of 1961. I had moved to Chapel Hill, NC to attend graduate school at the University of North Carolina. To complete the final 6 months of my enlistment, I was assigned to a squadron based at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, VA. That was when it was discovered that I had not done my 180 days but since I had less than that amount of time left in my enlistment, the Commanding Officer decided that it made no sense to send me to boot camp at the end of my term of service.

Yes, I was among a small cadre of Marines who volunteered to be available if my country needed me but never went to boot camp or received any combat training. I did get pretty good at removing and installing the radio gear in the AD-4's and that's what I did on my service weekends and summer training for 6 years. These are the memories evoked by my inky fingertips yesterday afternoon.

One last memory of that time. One morning, as I was getting ready to leave for my weekend training, my father (the original cantankerous old curmudgeon) saw me as I came down the stairs in my uniform. He looked up with a mischievous grin on his face and commented: "This is protecting me?" Dad's been gone over 44 years now and I still miss his sense of humor. At least I think he was kidding.

Peacock Colors on Display

2009-02-24T21:12:00.001-08:00

It happened Sunday morning while I was out walking. I came upon a peacock and several peahens. I do believe he was trying to impress the ladies as he displayed his colors in full.

When the peahens in attendance did not seem overly impressed, he offered them a different view.

You can see by their reactions how much the "turning tail" helped his cause. I think I was more impressed by his display, both front and back, than the young ladies were.

Enjoy!

My Draft Card. . .

2009-02-19T21:55:00.001-08:00

I was cleaning out my wallet the other day and I came across my Draft Card. Actually, its formal name is my "Selective Service System Registration Certificate." It looks like this (front and back):

What is this, my children might ask. When I was young, all males were required by law to register with their local "draft board" within 10 days of their 18^th birthday. The front of the card indicates that I complied, having registered on January 27, 1956 (the 56 disappeared over the years as the card became a bit frayed); it was the day after my birthday and (as noted in a post last month) my graduation from high school. You can see the selective service number assigned to me and my address. (This was a time before zip codes and the local postal zone was entered after the city name.) There was no draft at the time but registration was designed to help the government find eligible young men if it should ever be reinstated. With the exception of a few volunteers, women were not in the armed services in those days and there was never any intent to include them in a draft if it became necessary to conscript citizens into the armed forces.

On the back of the card you can find my vital statistics at that time and the fact that I was registered with "Michigan Local Board No. 97." I really can't recall when the requirement to register ended. But apparently I took the bottom admonition seriously. I have carried my draft card with me ever since that day over 53 years ago although I'm not sure exactly when I stopped providing the Board with my changes in address.

Times certainly have changed. Now we rely entirely on volunteers to fill the ranks of the military. I must confess that I was never completely comfortable with the idea of a volunteer, or professional army. For some reason, I felt there was less chance of the military becoming a political force in this country if it was filled with conscripts counting the days until their discharge back to civilian life. I guess my fears were a bit misguided. But I do feel badly for those who stayed in the reserves or joined the National Guard after their tour of active duty only to be recalled to service in a time of need, separated from their families and sent into combat.

But I'm a dreamer. I somehow still think it is possible to achieve the kind of peace that does not require combat ready militias ready to go into battle at a moments notice. Donna does refer to The Ancient One as a Pollyanna.

Stacked Books

2009-02-16T20:41:00.001-08:00

It's been over 3 months since I last wrote about the books I had read. But that doesn't mean I stopped reading; the below pictured stack covers all that was read, mostly on my daily walks.

The list:

Jeffrey Archer, A Prisoner of Birth
J.A. Jance, Hand of Evil
Douglas Preston, Blasphemy
Linda Fairstein, Likely to Die
Jonathan Kellerman, Billy Straight
Clive Cussler, The Chase
Faye Kellerman, Grievous Sins
John Lescroart, Betrayal
Linda Fairstein. Killer Heat
Raymond Khoury, The Last Templar
Barbara Delinsky, Accidental Woman
Michael Palmer, The First Patient
Sue Grafton, T is for Trespass

It's clear that most fall within the mystery category, some with an historical perspective and a couple also containing the elements of thrillers. It would take too much space to discuss all of them but I do want to focus on two in particular.

A Prisoner of Birth was the first Jeffrey Archer novel I have read and I will be seeking out more of his work. Set in England, the intricacies of the plot coupled with a wonderful mastery of language and story telling kept me on the edge of my seat, so to speak, all the way through. I hope that future encounters with his work will prove as pleasing.

In the case of Sue Grafton, I have read all of her "letter" mysteries although I don't generally find them to offer much more than the story at hand. However, in the case of T is for Trespass, one of the plot lines dealt with the criminal aspects of elder abuse and I found it to be extremely informative in that it placed the issue in the context of a "real" victim and the modus operandi of a "real" abuser. For me, it made human the types of things we all too often come across in newspapers where the stories are reported but not in enough detail to make clear the extent to which elder abuse robs senior citizens with limited capabilities of their dignity and, in many cases, what little they have in the way of possessions. I recommend this mystery to anyone who wants a clear picture of the horrors of elder abuse.

My reading continues. There are just so many more exciting, well written mysteries novels and thrillers out there. It is almost reassuring to know that I will never come close to reading them all. There will always be new crimes to solve and heroes to solve them.

Happy Valentines Day - Banners 17

2009-02-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

A happy and romantic Valentines Day to all who stop this way.

May the love that this day represents translate into peace and harmony for everyone around the world. Enjoy!

Peacock Pride

2009-02-13T22:25:00.001-08:00

There I was driving home the other day when I had to stop suddenly. Two peacocks, in all their glory, were strutting across the street and they were not about to get out of the way of my car. They were royalty and knew I would stop. Fortunately I had my camera with me.

As they turned past my car, I was able to capture 2 more pictures of one of these prideful birds.

Then, this morning as I was returning home I was stunned by a peacock who fanned his tail out full and then turned around 2 or 3 times to make sure I got the best view possible. It was only the 2^nd time in the 12 years we have lived in this neighborhood that I have seen the full display of peacock tail feathers. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone's camera with me and the following picture does not do justice to the magnificent bird.

But oh how he made my day!! Enjoy!

Just One of the Himmelfarbs

2009-02-07T21:56:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was the patriarch of the Himmelfarb clan; grandfather of the Bat Mitzvah girl. Or something like that. It was my first paid acting job of 2009 as I performed in the background on the set of Ronna and Beverly, a TV pilot being produced for Showtime.

The stars of the show are Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo who have worked together for several years as a comedy sketch team portraying events from the lives of Ronna and Beverly, a pair of oft-married and divorced Jewish women from Boston who, among other things, authored a book titled, You'll Do A Little Better Next Time: A Guide to Marriage and Remarriage for Jewish Singles." You can find more about these funny women on their YouTube page and read about the pilot in a TV Guide article (1/08/09).

The scenes in which The Ancient One worked showed a batch of very sick Himmelfarbs and other guests arriving at a hospital suffering from apparent food poisoning, the result of "bad shrimp" served at the Bat Mitzvah party. Because he spoke up first, The Ancient One was selected as the member of the mob who threw up as they all entered the reception area. Fortunately, the mixture was fruity sweet, making the 7 or 8 (or maybe more) takes of the scene bearable. It also accounts for the "stuff" on his shirt, as seen below:

All in all, it was a fun day at L.A. Center Studios. And fortunately the shot was indoors for it was one of those rare, very rainy days in Los Angeles. Yes, they do happen! It also felt good to be working again, if only for one day.

Visitor #8000

2009-02-03T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Ancient One received his 8000th hit today. The visitor logged on from 20th Century Fox here in L.A. and found the site through a google search using "culver city public theatre" directors as the search term.

That reminds me that I have said almost nothing about CCPT (the theatre company) since the season ended last summer. I thank this visitor for reminding me and I'll write soon about the new officers and the early stages of planning for summer 2009.

Thank you #8000 for jogging my memory.

Early Valentine Colors – Banners 16

2009-02-02T13:39:00.001-08:00

Clearly it is February. On my walks this past weekend, I saw the first banners in celebration of Valentine's Day.

Enjoy!

The Not Quite So Perfect Flower

2009-02-01T21:17:00.001-08:00

On February 2 of last year I posted about The Perfect Flower. I talked about the flowers that bloomed outside my office window at the beginning of February and included a photo.

This year the flowers actually appeared the last week of January. And while I offer up the following photo, the best of the blooms does not seem to be quite as "perfect" as last year's although it still brightened my day.

Enjoy!

Testing. . .a New Camera

2009-01-30T14:01:00.001-08:00

Donna got back from San Diego yesterday afternoon and arrived bearing additional birthday gifts for The Ancient One. She knew I had been thinking about anew camera and presented me with the very model I have been looking at for several months; a Nikon Coolpix C18.

This 8.0 megapixel (bright red) digital camera should provide much clearer photographs than I had been getting from my old 3.3 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot. I just got back from testing it and present the first "test" photos I took. First, is a photo taken from the same vantage point as my banner photo:

Next, since it is a relatively clear day (without interference from smog) is a view of Catalina Island taken from a vantage point on Via Zumaya in Palos Verdes Estates:

The last 2 provide a flowery close-up and a set of palm trees who seem to be standing guard over the neighborhood:

I'm pleased with this first effort with the new camera. It should be a lot of fun over the coming months and years.

Thank you Donna!

The Day I Turned 18

2009-01-26T20:51:00.001-08:00

It was 53 years ago today on my 18^th birthday. I graduated from high school; Central High School in Detroit, Michigan to be exact. The following week I started college at Wayne State University (also in Detroit).

I mention this because I recently came across my final high school report card, both sides of which are pictured below:

This report card is interesting for a number of reasons. To start with, it is far different from the computer generated reports that are turned out by schools today. The writing on the front of the card (other than the grades themselves) is mine. At the beginning of each semester, every student had to fill out his/her own card. The back of the card shows my mother's signature for the first two reporting cycles. In the mid-1950s, my mother would never sign anything with her own first name; it just wasn't done. It was signed as "Mrs." before my father's name. That was a married woman's identity; in some ways we have moved forward a long way in the past half-century even if the glass ceiling has yet to be fully shattered.

Another curiosity: at that time, the school system in Detroit (as in many other communities) operated strictly on a semester system. Children entered kindergarten in either September or January, depending on birthday. And high school seniors graduated in January or June when they completed 12^th grade. Since I started school in January, I graduated in January. The grade "12A" on the front of the card indicates that this report is for my 2^nd semester in the 12^th grade. The first 12th grade semester, which had begun the previous January, was "12B."

The listing of courses is rather sparse. I was a graduating senior and I was able to have a relatively light load my last semester; my 2^nd semester of Chemistry, 4^th of composition and 3^rd of Journalism. Economics was required. During my 1^st 12^th grade semester I took Trigonometry (which at that time was the highest level of math offered in high school in Detroit unless you were at a "technical" high school"). The periods of the day for which students had no classes, they were assigned to Study Hall. I still remember Henrietta Carr, my study hall counselor, who oversaw the records, progress and behavior of all the members of my family.

An interesting sidelight: When I graduated, I completed 2 generations of our family to attend Central High School, although when my parents were students, the school was in a different location (which later became and still is the Old Main building at Wayne State). To my knowledge, the Central my generation of Cohen's attended is still there and in use. I last was in the building when I went back for my 35^th reunion.

Oh, the memories this old report card has conjured up. It just seems fitting to share it on my birthday.

It’s a New Day and a New Era

2009-01-20T21:53:00.001-08:00

My first presidential election was 1960 and I proudly cast my ballot for John F. Kennedy. It was a transforming election; JFK was the first Catholic elected President of the U.S. He brought class to Washington. And although he was taken from us too soon to have a major, direct impact on national policy and culture, Lyndon Johnson was successful in bringing about much of what Kennedy had laid out, most notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which led to a changing of the demographics of American voters and helped establish the framework that made possible the outcome of the 2008 election.

Today is the beginning of another new era, the result of last November's election. Today was President Barack Obama's inauguration. He is the first person of color to hold the highest office in the land. And it has been a very emotional day. Not just for me but, apparently, for most Americans. Every seasoned commentator I have heard on TV today has said that there never has been an inauguration like this one. The last estimate I heard was that there were about 1.9 million people attending the event in Washington. There was laughter and tears. It must have been the biggest party ever seen in this country.

Obama's inaugural address was brilliant. To use a phrase I think I first uttered after hearing JFK address the American people on January 20, 1961, we now have a President who is both literate and literary. But I truly believe the changes that are coming are more than just in the improvement of the language and style of our new leader. While skeptical when he announced his candidacy 2 years ago, I have come to believe that Obama is a man of substance, in his view of governing, his policy preferences and his temperament.

In spite of the derision of his early work in community organizing by partisan opponents, it is that experience that taught him to listen and to trust people to give back to their country. As editor of the Harvard Law Review, the young Obama could have clerked for a Supreme Court justice or had his choice of jobs in prestigious law firms when he graduated from law school. But he chose to go back to Chicago and work with the community; he believed in people and he worked to convince them that they could empower themselves. When he stands up there and tells the crowds, "this is all about you", I believe him. He has walked that walk.

So I am looking forward to the next 8 years as we work our way out of the economic morass that Obama has inherited. I am looking forward to again having leaders who listen and who want this country to earn the friendship and respect of people and leaders from around the world. I know we are better than the public face of the outgoing administration. I am confident that Barack Obama will steadily lead us in a renewal of all that is good about America. Amen!

Old Dogs and New Toys

2009-01-18T21:57:00.001-08:00

Since daughter Alicia was visiting, the family decided to celebrate my birthday about 2 weeks early. After a dinner with neighbors last Tuesday evening, we went back to (ostensibly) see for the first time the apartment into which son Seth moved about 2 months ago. It is very nice; about a block from the ocean in Redondo Beach. While we all were sitting there, Donna presents me with one of those gift bags and brings out a large brownie and they all sing happy birthday to The Ancient One.

Inside the bag I found an iPod nano. It is one of those music players (whatever they're called) that young people have attached to their ears with little speaker "buds" while they listen to the music contained thereon. I had just read about this particular device (along with many others) in a recent issue of Fast Company with heralded the arrival of SSDs (solid state drives) with a prediction that they would gradually replace the current HDD (hard disk drives) in our computers and such. This little iPod nano that I received contains 8GB (gigabytes) of memory which is a lot although my son told me I would fill it far more quickly than I thought possible.

My nano (I immediately became attached to the cute little thing) measures 3½ inches by 1¼ inches. It is all of ¼ inch thick. To get a better sense of its diminutive size I took the below (not too clear) picture of it in the palm of my hand.

Although I am a septuagenarian, I decided to not let myself become intimidated by such a tiny piece of new technology. Since Tuesday, I have been uploading my (mostly jazz) music collection on to my computer's external hard drive (an HDD drive) using iTunes software. Then I plugged the nano into the computer via a USB port and downloaded it all to my new toy. Thus far, I have moved 25 albums, containing 17.1 hours of good music to the nano using about 942MB (megabytes) of its memory. In other words, it is only about 12.5% full. Amazing! But then came the test: How does the music sound?

Off I went on my morning walk. Since the device is solid state, it can be shaken and jostled about without a problem. Following the claims of the literature, after I inserted the buds in my ears (they're even marked L(eft) and R(ight), I gave the nano a good shake which put it into "shuffle" mode and songs, randomly selected by the toy, began to play. I must say that once I mastered the volume controls (sliding a finger left or right around the center dial), I was amazed by the high quality of the sound entering my ears. If I had not decided to "shuffle" the music, I could have selected the album or artist or musical piece I wanted to listen to. It truly is amazing.

Yes, this old dog is hooked on his new toy. And now I face an additional challenge: Am I up to multi-tasking, i.e. can I continue to read my thrillers and mystery novels on the morning walk and listen to fine music at the same time? I think I am up to it. You know, some things happening in the 21^st century are pretty nice.

W.D. Snodgrass (1926-2009)

2009-01-16T22:30:00.001-08:00

His name jumped out at me as I glanced at the obituary page of the Los Angeles Times this morning. W.D. Snodgrass, "Pulitzer winning poet and teacher. In truth, I hadn't seen the name in decades but it brought back many memories. I was a student at Wayne State University (in Detroit, Michigan) from 1956-1961. Snodgrass joined the faculty in 1958 and he was there for 10 years. In 1959, his first book, Heart's Needle was published and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry in 1960.

I never took a class from Professor Snodgrass, but I did attend a few of his on-campus poetry readings. The details from 50 years ago are cloudy in my mind but I remember him as a man one does not easily forget. I also remember the hoopla on campus when he won the Pulitzer for Heart's Needle.

Our paths crossed ever so briefly when I was a young undergraduate student with a minor in English. While I had not thought about him for many years, he was not forgotten. I was saddened to read the news Snodgrass' passing. May his poetry live on. May he rest in peace.

Spring in January – Banners 15

2009-01-10T15:31:00.001-08:00

There's a neighbor around the corner who must be tired of winter in southern California. He replaced his holiday banners with these:

Obviously, he is ready for spring. And it's only January 10^th!

Enjoy!

fransfamousnuts

2009-01-09T22:44:00.001-08:00

This post is a shameless plug for fransfamousnuts (just click on that name and you will be delivered to her website. Now why would The Ancient One put what, in reality, is a commercial in this space?

Well, you see, Fran is my oldest niece; I won't say how old but when she was an infant, I was the teenage baby sitter. Fran has her own business, Group 230 Design, back in Michigan but somewhere along the way she found a way to add a glaze and spices to almonds, cashews and pecans. When I heard about this venture, I requested a sample of her "fiery, fabulous recipe." Being a loving niece, she sent me a small package which I polished off without sharing.

I can attest to the accuracy of Fran's advertising. I have experienced fiery food before (and I like it) but have not associated fire with nuts. I did like them and decided to mention them here. That's the commercial!

Thanks for sending the nuts Fran! They were great! I hope a couple of folks who stop by go to your website (here) and decide to try them. Let me know if they do. Do you need a west coast rep?

And from now on, back to non-commercial blogging. . .

A New Year, Anniversary and HDTV

2009-01-07T20:08:00.001-08:00

It must have been a good New Year's celebration. It's been a week since I last wrote anything. And it has been a good and busy week. New Year's Eve was spent with friends; movie (Frost/Nixon), dinner and back to our house for desert and greeting 2009.

And then an anniversary! Donna and I were married on New Year's Day in 1981. She has put up with me for 28 years which is no small feat to which both she and previous wives can attest. Basically, it was a quiet day. No offspring around this year. We did get out to dinner although our preferred restaurant was closed.

We also began the search for an appropriate anniversary gift. Many years ago we established a tradition of buying a mutual gift rather than giving each other separates gifts on this momentous day. Usually it takes several days or weeks before the purchase is made.

This year we decided to join the 21^st century and buy a High Definition television set (HDTV). We visited several stores and learned about such things as LCD v. plasma, 1080p v. 770p and 120 Hz v. 60 Hz. Then we started revisiting stores, leaving one when the salesperson who only wanted to sell us the most expensive brand proceeded to lie to us and say that an opposing store did not sell the brand we were interested in (although I had seen that brand at the opposition the day before). We moved on and ended up at our friendly Costco where, much to my surprise, we found the most knowledgeable, least pushy sales person. Needless to say, we bought ourselves a 42" LCD, 1080p, 120 Hz set at Costco (with the added n bonus of an additional 2 year warranty at no extra cost).

Once home, Donna and I started the unpacking/setting-up process. Luckily, son Seth stopped buy which sped things up dramatically and we are now enjoying high definition television. It is a far cry from the 10" Philco my father brought home in 1948 when an appliance store owner client of his couldn't pay his legal fees and provided us with the "first TV on the block" instead. (In those days we watched a lot of test patterns and I remember watching the Howdy Doody show and Milton Berle's comedy hour sponsored by Texaco. It was long before coaxial cables and live TV and all the new fangled stuff.)

Hopefully, I will not become too enamored of the new TV; that might take me even further away from my writing. Now that the anniversary gift is taken care of, I plan to get back to regular posts and more focus on family history, events and photos. And knowing how my mind works (or doesn't work), I might even repeat some things I've said in the nearly 2 years I've been a member of the blogosphere.

So welcome to 2009 and thank you for stopping by and checking on what The Ancient One has to say. If you're in the neighborhood, come see our new TV.

Best Wishes for a Happy New Year

2008-12-31T12:45:00.001-08:00

Well, another year has passed and The Ancient One is delighted to be sending out greetings and wishes for a wonderful 2009. Our family holiday letter this year, penned by Donna, ended with, "We wish you all a year of joy and fulfillment, health and peace of mind, and for all of us a new start, a renewed spirit, and the love and affection of friends and family."

While I generally avoid political statements in these meanderings, I do feel that we are coming to the end of an 8 year national nightmare. While I have no illusions about the economy turning around immediately after January 20, I am hopeful that we are entering a new era that will gradually bring peace, prosperity and respect for what this country stands for. I am looking forward to a national leadership that listens to people and other nations and does not simply try to impose a narrow view of what is right and wrong on the rest of the world.

So, to all of you who pass this way, have a Happy New Year. I look forward to hearing about your thoughts and the events in your lives as they unfold in the coming year.

Life is good! Let us all enjoy what we have and strive to make it better.

Peahens on Parade

2008-12-30T15:48:00.001-08:00

A few days ago I wrote about the PEACOCKS parading on our street (see previous post). Well, today was Ladies' Day as I spotted 3 PEAHENS strutting along while I was on my morning walk. (You may have to click on the photo to get a clear view.)

Shortly after I took the above picture with my cell phone camera, I was sitting at home and heard walking on the roof. Although I quickly dashed outside with the good camera and discovered that it was the hens I was hearing above my head, they would not cooperate and I could not get a clear shot.

That's it. The last peafowl photo of 2009. Enjoy!

Holiday Peacocks on Parade

2008-12-27T22:43:00.001-08:00

As I went outside this morning to pick up the newspapers, there before me were 4 adult peacocks with magnificent tail feathers parading up the sidewalk on the other side of the street. By the time I got my camera, I was only able to get a couple of pictures good enough to put up here. You will note in one of them that two of these royal birds are checking out the territory of a "reindeer" in a neighbor's yard.

I am still fascinated by the peacocks in our area even though it has been a few months since I offered up pictures. Rarely have I seen 4 adult males together with not a peahen in sight. And it is even more unusual to see them on our block. They don't often roam this far from their usual gathering places a few blocks away.

Enjoy!

Still Thinking of You Bro’

2008-12-26T22:07:00.001-08:00

Today is the 13^th anniversary of the death of my oldest brother Jerry; he went too soon at the age of 70. I was thinking about him today and went to the web site of the Washington, D.C. law firm which still has his name first in the list of named partners. On their site, I found his biography which I am printing below in full. I'm sure his colleagues won't mind.

Jerry S. Cohen

Jerry S. Cohen was born on September 13, 1925 in Wayne County, Michigan. He died in December 1995. Jerry Cohen was one of the founding partners of the firm. In his seventy years, Mr. Cohen held a variety of jobs, filled a variety of roles and always had a story to tell.

Mr. Cohen served in the Marines and got both his B.A. and J.D. from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He began his career working for his father in Detroit and was fond of recounting his conversation with his dad explaining how he had managed to lose an uncontested divorce case.

Mr. Cohen went to work for the Michigan Attorney General as the assistant in charge of the Criminal Division. In 1961, he left Michigan for Washington, D.C. He worked at the Senate Antitrust & Monopoly Subcommittee and served as its chief counsel and staff director until 1969. Mr. Cohen always spoke with great admiration of Senator Phil Hart with whom he worked closely during those years. His interest in the small competitor and consumer grew during those years, which saw his work on the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act and the Truth in Labeling Act.

Mr. Cohen opened the D.C. branch of the Philadelphia law firm of Dilworth, Kalish, Cohn & Coleman. He was soon thereafter joined by Herbert E. Milstein and Michael D. Hausfeld. The firm's practice was originally concentrated in antitrust and securities class actions for plaintiffs and that plaintiff-side orientation has remained at the core of the firm's practice. Under Mr. Cohen's leadership, the Washington, D.C. office became an independent partnership in 1986.

Over the years, Mr. Cohen became involved in a variety of prominent cases. He brought the first successful sexual harassment case under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He was one of a team of lawyers litigating In re Corrugated Container Antitrust Litigation to a successful jury verdict in Texas. Mr. Cohen was also active in two massive environmental cases – the Union Carbide Bhopal, India gas leak in 1984 and the Exxon Valdez oil spill case in 1989. Mr. Cohen was chosen as one of two attorneys leading the combined cases to trial against Exxon on behalf of more than 34,000 plaintiffs including Alaskan fishermen, seafood processors, environmental groups, and coastal villages. For his work on the case, he shared the 1995 Trial Lawyer of the Year award presented by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.

Mr. Cohen was the co-author of two New York Times best-selling books, both written with Morton Mintz, a Washington Post journalist. America Inc: Who Owns and Operates the United States came out in 1971 and Power Inc: Public and Private Rulers and How to Make Them Accountable came out in 1976.

Mr. Cohen was well respected by both plaintiff and defense lawyers. Whether or not you agreed with him, you knew that, if he said he would do something, he would keep his word. He had a fondness for good arguments and not-so-great cigars.

Jerry was quite a guy. I still miss you bro'.

Holiday Colors 2008 – Banners 14

2008-12-22T21:33:00.001-08:00

My first banner post was December 24, 2007 with colors of the holiday season. Today I offer the 2008 version and I have tried to avoid repeating those that appeared last year.

Here are 5 new banners/flags that were seen along the way on my morning walks.

Enjoy the flying colors of Christmas, southern California style!

Happy Hanukkah!

2008-12-21T14:26:00.001-08:00

At sundown this evening the 8 day festival of Hanukkah begins.

Donna has decorated the house for the holiday. Both outside:

And inside (including many of the Hanukkiah she has collected over the years):

In the course of my lifetime, the celebration of Hanukkah has changed drastically. It was not a gift giving holiday. But that has changed; as Christmas became more commercialized, so did Hanukkah as the Jewish version of gift giving. The nightly candle-lighting tradition remains as does playing dreidel games and the food, especially potato latkes (pancakes) of which I still partake unofficially and in moderation. (Please don't tell my cardiologist!)

So to all who stop by this week, Happy Hanukkah!!

Xmas Palm Trees

2008-12-19T22:44:00.001-08:00

I grew up in the upper Midwest and spent most of the first 44 years of my life in places where winter meant snow and sub-freezing temperatures. Even though I have lived in southern California for nearly 27 years, I still chuckle when I see palm trees decorated for the season.

Enjoy!

Mother Was (Almost) Always Right

2008-12-17T19:01:00.001-08:00

One month from today will be the 25^th anniversary of my mother's death. She was 79 years old at the time. I mention this because the weather in southern California today leads me to offer a memory about Mom now rather than on January 17.

I moved to the L.A. area from Springfield, Illinois to start a new job in January, 1982. At that time, my mother was living here. The weather was delightful! I moved from snow and slush and cold to sunny days and warm weather. That seemed like heaven. Then as Spring arrived, the sun was harder to find. It seemed like it appeared only briefly during April, May and June (contrary to Chamber of Commerce claims). I learned new terms from local TV weathermen; they referred to fog as the "marine layer" and the daily lack of sunlight as "June gloom."

One day as I was complaining about the continually overcast weather, my always optimistic mother proclaimed to me, "The sun shines every day in southern California. Some days you just have to wait a little longer for it to appear." For the most part Mom was right. There were only a few exceptions; today was one of them. We are having our 2^nd rain storm in a week. (I'm not looking for sympathy from my freezing, snowbound friends in other parts of the country.) Today, I did not see any sunshine.

Alas, my mother's assertion was wrong today. But that's all right. Just thinking about her and that statement brings a smile to my face nearly 25 years after her death. Once again I think of how "wise" I was in the "selection of my parents." :-D

I still miss you Mom!

They Came to See His Barroom Close

2008-12-14T22:24:00.001-08:00

This afternoon we went to the closing performance of The Face on the Barroom Floor at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. As I mentioned last week, younger son Seth made his debut as a Director with this production. As a parent, I saw something very special at today's performance. About 10 (+/-) of Seth's friends showed up to see the last show of his first run. All were high school classmates and all but one had been "drama geeks" with Seth. If we counted right, 3 of them have been friends of his since grade school. Seth was looking good after the show surrounded by all these friends.

I don't know how many young adults continue to be close with their old classmates and school friends. Once I was out of high school, I only had 2 friends with whom I have remained close over the decades. But Seth is part of a group of friends that all seem like family to us. We see them all during the year. We have watched them grow up. And as I watched them today supporting their friend's success, I was a very happy and proud father.

Well, the Barroom has closed. Congratulations to cast and crew for a fine run. And thanks to all of you who were there supporting your friend!

Some Things Just Never Change

2008-12-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

It is nearly 27 years since I left Illinois and moved to southern California. I had worked for 9 years at Sangamon State University (now the University of Illinois at Springfield). I was originally hired as Director of the Illinois Legislative Staff Internship Program which I headed for about 7 years. I also was the founding Director of the Illinois Legislative Studies Center at SSU.

So, it is understandable that I have been watching, with great interest, as the latest political scandal in Illinois is revealed; the alleged "selling" of Barack Obama's Senate seat by Governor Rod Blagojevich. All that I have been reading this week seems familiar. Many journalists have made reference to the way politics have been in Illinois for a very long time. From the years I was there, I even remember one popular, likable state official who was indicted for getting benefits from state contracts he awarded each year. It seemed to me as the case unwound through the legal system that he never understood what he had done wrong; he was just conducting business-as-usual in the state capitol.

The more I have read this week, the more I realized how much has stayed the same since I left Springfield. I guess that some things just never change!

It Was a Very Good Run

2008-12-10T22:06:00.001-08:00

It's already 3 days since The Relevant Stage's production of The Christmas Carol closed. It was a good run with sizable audiences after the opening night. Once again, it was a pleasure to perform on the stage of the Warner Grand Theatre; it's a marvelous old house in which to work.

The Ancient One has just about recovered from the 5 performances in 4 days. Even though Jacob Marley's chains were made of plastic, they still added about 10 extra pounds to drag around the stage (and up and down the stairs to the dressing room). Yes, it was a "ponderous chain" that left me mighty tired for 2 days following the closing. There is one more small picture of Marley to share; it was taken by fellow cast member Alicia Wells.

When this project started, The Ancient One was concerned that there would only be 4 weeks of rehearsals (that was really 3½ when you count the time off for Thanksgiving. Was that enough time to prepare well. The cast was made up of actors of varying experience. As it turned out, there was nothing to worry about. Anchored by Rusty Vance, an amazing actor, as Ebenezer Scrooge, we emerged on stage as a very tight ensemble. Throughout the whole process I don't recall a single instance of the "drama" that often envelops cast and crew as they work toward opening night.

Thanks to Ray Buffer for both his direction of The Christmas Carol and his dedicated leadership of The Relevant Stage. Now it's on to year 2 for this fledgling theatre company and the bigger and better results that come with experience. Bravo!

A Barroom Unlike Any Other

2008-12-09T20:58:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday, I attended the matinee performance of Tim Kelly's The Face on the Barroom Floor at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It just so happened that this was the first directing effort of younger son Seth, the new drama teacher at the school.

If you like puns and really corny jokes, you will love this play. As the director noted in his program comments, it has the kind of humor he complained about incessantly growing up and listening to on a daily basis as it spewed from the lips of The Ancient One. I guess I would describe the play as a western farce and the jokes and laughing begin right at the start and continue through the most wonderfully rollicking final 10 minutes I have ever seen on stage.

The entire cast of 14 students was extremely talented and I hesitate to single out any one of them. That means, of course, that I am about to do just that. Zachary Barryte was absolutely delightful as the arch villain Roderick Rodent. Not for one moment did he stray from his character and his comic timing was perfect. I could probably say the same thing about the rest of the cast too but I have known Zach since he was about 5 years old and his family does live across the street from us. So, I offer my kudos to Zach and apologize to the rest of the cast for not mentioning their names while congratulating them all on great performances.

Barroom continues this week with 7 p.m. performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. closing on Sunday. Where? The PAC at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Hawthorne Boulevard @ Silver Spur Road in Rolling Hills Estates, CA. Tickets online at: PENHIGHDRAMA.COM and information by phone at 310.377.4888 x830. If you are within commuting distance, don't miss it! The director's dad wants you there!

Jacob Marley’s Self-Portrait

2008-12-04T12:43:00.001-08:00

Last night was the final tech/dress rehearsal for The Relevant Stage's production of The Christmas Carol which opens tonight at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. (I know, I plug the shows a lot!)

Jacob Marley (aka The Ancient One) finally got his ghostly makeup applied, donned most of his costume (the chains won't be available until tonight) and snapped a self-portrait on a cell phone with the help of a mirror. Oh, these character roles are so much fun!

Okay, time for some lunch and a long nap (didn't get home from rehearsal until 1:30 a.m. this morning). Then on to the Warner Grand for another opening.

Ticket information (another shameless plug) can be found at therelevantstage.com. Marley hopes that he gets a chance to scare a few of you this weekend. Show times are 8:00 p.m. tonight, tomorrow and Saturday and at 7:00 p.m. Sunday. If you do get there, he will greet you in the lobby following curtain call.

A Classic Example of a Brain Fart

2008-12-03T08:12:00.001-08:00

It happened during the dress rehearsal of The Christmas Carol last night at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. The Ancient One in a partial costume for The Ghost of Jacob Marley (chains and make-up will be added tonight) began his scene with Scrooge. His face appeared in the door as the ghostly voice intoned, "Ebenezer. . . Ebenezer." The scene then continued as Marley appeared on stage to warn Scrooge of the coming of 3 haunting spirits.

In the midst of his monologue explaining the chains that weighed him down, Marley turns away from Scrooge saying, "I cannot rest, I cannot stay, I cannot linger anywhere! . . . . . . . ." And then silence for what seemed like an eternity. The Ancient One's mind went totally blank. He knew where he was; he knew there was more to the line. But there was not a thought in his head other than wondering what could possibly come next. What was the rest of the monologue he recites to himself many times each day. And it was one of those times where there was nothing the other actor on stage could do to help him escape from his dilemma. It was a classic "brain fart;" a total disconnect from what was going on; a total blanking out of the mind that appears randomly, without any warning and is an actor's nightmare.

The Director, Ray Buffer, finally saved The Ancient One by interrupting to make a minor change in the blocking of the scene. When the scene resumed, the monologue was delivered flawlessly. All the lines were there and the rehearsal continued.

Tonight is the final rehearsal for The Christmas Carol, the final production in The Relevant Stage's inaugural season at the Warner Grand. Then it's on to the 4 performances (tomorrow thru Sunday). If any readers stop by for the show, be sure to wait around to say hello to The Ancient One and the rest of the cast when they emerge from the dressing rooms into the lobby after the performance.

Tis the Season. . .of Too Much Food

2008-11-30T23:01:00.001-08:00

It starts with Thanksgiving and runs through New Years Day. Wherever one turns there is food, Wonderful food. . .but not very healthy food. Actually, for The Ancient One it begins with the leftover Halloween candy. Oh, that sweet tooth! Food, food, wonderful food!

A few years back, The Ancient One lost over 40 pounds. When asked how he did it, he always answered with one word, "Fear." Even after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1990, the weight did not go away. The diet changed to the extent that a fast food restaurant has not been visited in the past 18 years. Then came the coronary bypass surgery in August, 2004. That did get The Ancient One's attention and the weight came off and hit a plateau 3 months later. There is still a need to lose at least 20 more pounds but it is a constant battle. When faced with all that good food of the season, any season, there seems to be no will power.

So now there is a Thanksgiving resolution made while feeling the consequences of all that good food: Lose weight between now and New Year's day. I'll try but I'm not confident. I'll even try to keep it off with continuation of daily exercise. Getting exercise is more certain than controlling the diet.

It seems that The Ancient One is satisfied if at the end of December his weight is no higher than it was at the same time the previous year. That's really not acceptable any more. . .but, oh, all that wonderful, tempting, good food!

More Thanksgiving Colors – Banners 13

2008-11-25T23:01:00.001-08:00

Just in time, here are a few more photos (of mixed quality) of Thanksgiving banners that have appeared in the neighborhood.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday!

Heading Toward Sunset

2008-11-24T22:16:00.001-08:00

I was driving home this afternoon when the sky caused me to stop; such an interesting mixture of colors as the sun was heading down toward the horizon. While clouds were overhead, the sky was still clear out over the Pacific. Unfortunately, the picture taken with the cell phone camera only suggests the spectacular view. But it does reflect why I so enjoy living near the western shore.

Enjoy!

Family Hoops?

2008-11-23T23:00:00.001-08:00

I took a slightly different route on my morning walk yesterday. Along the way, the following image caught my eye:

Two basketball backboards stood side-by-side in the driveway. One was poppa/momma size and the other kid size. I wondered: Is this an example of the old adage about, "The family that shoots hoops together. . ." The Ancient One Wants to Know. What about you?

45 Years Ago Today. . .

2008-11-22T20:44:00.001-08:00

I remember exactly where I was 45 years ago today when I first heard that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. Everyone who had any awareness of JFK death on that day can tell you exactly where they were when they heard the news. The Ancient One was standing at the coffee pot on the 3^rd floor of Caldwell Hall at the University of North Carolina where graduate students (his position in life at the time) and faculty gathered at various times during the day for caffeine and conversation.

This year there is additional depth to those memories. Kennedy was the first Catholic to be elected President. I remember the hope for a better future that he represented for many of us. This year Barack Obama as President-elect represents another first in the evolution of American political culture. And for the majority of us, he brings hope for significant changes in the role of the United States on the world stage as well as in this country.

Moving Along With Marley and Scrooge

2008-11-17T23:32:00.001-08:00

We are now in the 3^rd week of rehearsals for The Relevant Stage's production of The Christmas Carol. For The Ancient One, it has seemed like a very laid back process. As the ghost of Jacob Marley, he is in just one scene and was easily off book by last Thursday's deadline. Doing that one scene with Ebenezer Scrooge has been fun in rehearsal and will be more so on stage when the play opens December 4 at San Pedro's historic Warner Grand Theatre.

Scrooge is played by Rusty Vance, a fine actor. Last week, Director Ray Buffer took photos of Rusty in costume from which he created the following publicity photo card:

As rehearsals continue, I will be looking forward to moving on to the stage at the Warner Grand after Thanksgiving. This production also will bring a new experience to The Ancient One. For the first time, he will be wearing a microphone on stage. It will help the actors to be miked in this 1500 seat house. And in Marley's case I suspect that some reverberation will be used to enhance his ghostly voice. It should be interesting and fun. More information on the production can be found by clicking here on the link to The Relevant Stage. Now back to running lines: "Ebenezer!"

Smoke Gets In. . .

2008-11-16T18:29:00.001-08:00

That's how it felt to The Ancient One when he woke up this morning; smoke getting in the eyes, the nose, the lungs. And we're the lucky ones. We live about 30 miles from the nearest of the major fires in Southern California this weekend. We are safe albeit downwind from the Yorba Linda/Corona/Chino Hills, etc fire. With the Santa Ana winds gusting, we knew that others were suffering by the smell and our stinging eyes

Actually, we did have a fire here in Rancho Palos Verdes yesterday. About 10 acres burned in a canyon near City Hall but no buildings were involved and firefighters had it out in about 1½ hours. We saw the smoke and smelled that one too. Below are a couple of pictures I took this morning on my daily walk. Remember, this is more than 30 miles downwind.

First, a shot from the same vantage point of the banner at the top of this blog:

And, a canyon along the way:

Right now our thoughts and prayers are with the tens of thousands people uprooted from their homes. And the hundreds of families who have no home to return too, over 500 of them from one trailer park in the Sylmar area of the San Fernando Valley. (photo below after the fire had passed and continued on its way)

We are hoping that the winds die down and the humidity goes up to assist the firefighters who are out there in the firestorms trying to get the upper hand. In the more than 26 years The Ancient One has lived in Southern California, these fires are absolutely the scariest events; much scarier than all but the biggest of earthquakes.

Reading Up A Storm

2008-11-14T12:30:00.001-08:00

I haven't written much over the past 6 weeks but I sure have done a lot of reading, mostly on my daily walks. Six books have been devoured, all of them written by those on my "favorite authors" list. Where do I start?

I have long been a fan of John Sandford's Prey mysteries featuring Lucas Davenport. However, in Dark of the Moon, he moves Virgil Flowers, who works for Davenport to the forefront. While I liked Flowers and his path to solving a wave of small town murders, I missed the Davenport panache. This was a good mystery but it was different.

Two Patricia Cornwell books were on the reading agenda. One, Book of the Dead, won a 2008 "crime thriller of the year" award in Great Britain although I found it somewhat disturbing. While Cornwell's novels tend toward the dark side, this one was just a bit too dark for me and it became more of a bit-by-bit read than a can't-put-it-down one. In contrast, I found her 1993 Cruel and Unusual mesmerizing with a number of unusual twists that had me wondering what might happen next right up to the ultimate solution. For me, this was a case of liking her earlier writing better than the later effort.

Jonathan Kellerman was the author of two other books on the list, Compulsion (2008) and The Murder Book (2002). This was also a case of liking the earlier writing better than the latter. While Compulsion was good and well written, as are all Kellerman mysteries, I kept wondering why psychologist Alex Delaware was involved in assisting Milo Sturgis in the first place. It seemed like he was there because he had nothing better to do with his time. In The Murder Book, Delaware was understandably involved from the opening page and we learned a lot about Sturgis' early career as a detective as they pursued a cold case. For me this was a spellbinder and the 605 pages flew by. The unexpected twists and turns kept me glued to the book on morning walks and, on a couple of days I narrowly avoided walking into parked cars.

The final book of this group was David Baldacci's Stone Cold which I found top be among the best of the 9 Baldacci thrillers I have read. I was reunited with Oliver Stone and The Camel Club along with con artists Annabelle Conroy and her ailing father. Both of the parallel storylines were spellbinding. The action was intense. My only regret is that the ending makes it appear that The Camel Club will not appear in future Baldacci efforts. But then again, that possible conclusion comes from the unanswered questions that lead to speculation. We will see.

Well, that's a quick review of The Ancient One's recent reading without giving away any of the plot lines.

--------

P.S. Previously I added links to Amazon.com so that interested readers could look more closely at the books I read and, perhaps, even order them. But alas, the particular style widget I used appears to be no longer available. If anyone is interested, I will add the titles to the reading list link in the right hand column.

Thanksgiving Colors Hanging – Banners 12

2008-11-09T19:07:00.001-08:00

Well, we zipped right past Halloween and survived the excitement of Election Day. And almost immediately The Ancient One spotted the first colors of Thanksgiving hanging from houses in the neighborhood.

I can almost taste the turkey and pumpkin pie already (and there's 2½ weeks to go). Enjoy!

It’s Fun to be a Ghost. . .

2008-11-08T13:32:00.001-08:00

The first week's rehearsals are completed for The Relevant Stage's production of The Christmas Carol.

With the short lead time until we open December 4, we will be off-book before completing the 2^nd week of rehearsals. The Ancient One is lucky in that regard. Not only does he have all the fun of portraying the Ghost of Jacob Marley but he has the advantage of being only in one scene, albeit the scene that provides the basis for Scrooge's journey and transformation. I'm guessing that Marley will spend more time in the make-up chair than he will on stage. But it's such a rich character role.

The actors also will serve as walking billboards to publicize the production. There's nothing quite like a T-shirt to advertise an upcoming event. I'll be curious to see if anyone actually stops me to ask about the play as I wear it on my daily walks.

Now back to learning the rest of my lines. I hope a lot of folks find their way to the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, December 4-7. As Marley's Ghost tells Scrooge, "I want much with you!" Do come out to see The Ancient One rattle his chains! It's a fine new script with plenty of Christmas caroling throughout.

It Felt Good. . .

2008-11-04T14:02:00.001-08:00

I was driving home from a doctor's appointment this morning when my cell phone rang. It was Donna who proclaimed, "It sure felt good to vote!" She had just left the polling place after experiencing only a short wait before she cast her ballot. At first it seemed like a strange comment to make. Then I thought about all the years we cast our ballots for the "lesser of two evils" and came away feeling that we had fulfilled our civic duty even if it didn't feel very good. I understood exactly what Donna meant. I sent in my absentee ballot over 2 weeks ago and, yes, it did feel good filling it out and posting it.

My first presidential ballot was cast for John Kennedy in 1960. That seemed like a momentous election. But I do believe that this election is the most important one in which I have participated since I became eligible to vote in 1959. So much is at stake this year. While I have not broadcast my political preferences, I suspect that all who know me assumed, correctly, that I voted for Barack Obama. He was not my favorite at the beginning of the year. I voted for Hillary Clinton in the California Democratic Primary but once the convention came, there was no question about how The Ancient One would vote.

I must confess that I have never voted for a Republican in a general election in my lifetime. My political consciousness dates back to the 1940s when I was growing up in Michigan. When I first started teaching political science and my students would be curious about my own political biases, I would tell them that I was a G. Mennen Williams Democrat. Williams (nicknamed Soapy because he was of "that Mennen" family) was a Democratic Governor of Michigan in my youth; it was a time when my deepest political convictions were formed. During the 1950s, before I was old enough to vote, I became active in Democratic Party campaigning in my home state. As I recall, the party's electoral slogan was: "Make it emphatic, vote straight Democratic." I haven't wavered from that behavior my entire adult life and, if pushed, I can give very cogent, rational reasons for my long voting record.

But there is a lot more than the presidential race on the ballot today. There are congressional and legislative races to be decided. And here in California there are far two many referenda on the ballot. One of those has resonated more with me than the others. Proposition 8 attempts to reverse the recent California Supreme Court decision by rewording the California State Constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. I proudly cast a NO vote on Proposition 8. If it passes, I see it as clear discrimination against one group of citizens. In previous posts, I made clear my belief that majorities cannot be allowed to abrogate the rights of minorities. And I also deeply believe that we all must be respectful of the beliefs and lifestyles of others as long as they do not take away from our own right to live our own lives. To those proponents of Proposition 8 who are so sure of the "truth" of their position, I would ask you to ask yourselves, as I suggested earlier this week, "What if you are wrong?"

Okay, time to get off my soapbox. I held off writing these thoughts until today because it is not my purpose to use this space for political discourse. But I do feel good today. I just hope I feel as good when the votes are counted and the results are known.

What If. . .

2008-11-02T08:00:00.001-08:00

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of The Ancient One's graduate education back in the '60s was learning to be a skeptic. In the process of becoming a critical analyst of the world around me, I learned to never accept anything at face value. While there was, perhaps, too much emphasis on gathering empirical evidence at the expense of expressing values, I was imbued with a deep rooted suspicion of any viewpoint whose advocates claimed that they had the "absolute truth." This skepticism addressed all aspects of life, including politics and religion.

This mindset was bolstered by what I observed around me. I remember decades ago when students of mine working in the offices of state legislators in New York and, later, Illinois, I would ask them to interpret what they saw during various political battles. Typically, one student would say that he knew the truth because he was there. Then another student would disagree, saying something else had happened of which he was certain because he was there too! On and on it went. Gradually the students realized that each had experienced a "different reality" based on where they working in the capitol. Each reality was affected by the legislator the student worked for; democrat or republican, assemblyman or senator, leadership or rank and file. In fact, there were as many realities as there were students in the room. Students learned that they had to go beyond what they saw or heard and try to place the entire experience in a broader perspective.

During the Vietnam era when students, as well as most adults, had passionate feelings about the war, The Ancient One asked a simple question to help his students understand what it meant to be skeptical and analytical. I never encouraged them to alter their beliefs even if I disagreed with them. I urged them to continue their work in support of those beliefs. But, I suggested, whenever you fighting for what you passionately believe is right, always ask, somewhere in the corner of your mind, the question: "What if I am wrong?"

Those who claim they have a corner on the truth and are absolutely right are the major contributors to polarization in society. Too much of the discrimination and killing that goes on in the world is caused by those who "know they are right," who cannot accept any opposing view as being legitimate, who cannot live in harmony with people who believe differently than they do. This has always been so.

Why is The Ancient One rambling on like this? Because in this political year, I see the advocates of absolutism all around me. I see it in the presidential campaign. I see it in local elections. I see it in the campaign on Proposition 8 here in California. In truth, I have seen it dominate political rhetoric in this country for much too long! The level of divisiveness in this world threatens this optimist's ability to have much hope for the future.

All I ask of those who have the authority to make decisions that affect the quality (and equality) of life of others is that they remember to ask themselves, at least once every day, as they pursue their goals, "WHAT IF I'M WRONG?"

Witch-a-ma-call-its!

2008-10-31T00:03:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from The Ancient One.

Back on the Boards

2008-10-29T19:47:00.001-07:00

Last night I auditioned for The Relevant Stage's production of The Christmas Carol which will be staged at the historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, December 4-7. Today I was offered, and accepted, the role of Jacob Marley.

Marley is a wonderful character role; chains and blood curdling screams. I played him, along with other characters, in a different version of the play several years ago. (Unfortunately, I have no photos from that 1995 production at CSUDH.)

Rehearsals start next week and I am both excited and ready to be back on stage. I hope friends in the Los Angeles area will find a way to see this production. (I believe that comment comes under the rubric of blatant self-promotion. What can I say?)

Visitor #7000

2008-10-28T18:23:00.001-07:00

Visitor #7000 stopped by this afternoon, according to StatCounter. (SiteMeter had only recorded #6905 at the time.)

It appears that Ms. Fairway a relative new comer to the world of blogging over at Beyond the Fairway was the one who got that milestone to appear on the counter. Her first post was on October 2 and her visit here was soon thereafter. She also has left a few comments along the way. That is always appreciated.

Thank you Ms. Fairway for becoming a regular visitor. I am delighted that for once I recognized a milestone address.

An Observation on Counting Visitors and Vanity

2008-10-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Some time back when I hit one of my "milestones," I mentioned my suspicions that Sitemeter (my visit counter of choice) was missing visitors to The Ancient One. I decided that I would test this out.

One month ago today I added StatCounter as a 2nd monitoring tool to determine how many folks were stopping by whether on purpose or by accident. The new counter was set at the same number as the old one.

Just before I started writing this post, I looked at the counters all the way down on the bottom of the page. Sitemeter read 6930 and StatCounter read 6980. Now a difference of 50 might not seem like much but if it is annualized it comes out to a difference of 600 over 6 months.

Yes, those of us who blog let our egos get in the way. We want more visitors; somehow it makes us feel like we are more important, or better writers, or have something to say that others find interesting. Whatever. The Ancient One is no different.

From this moment forth, while both counters will remain visible, milestones will be measured by the higher number. In a day or two I will announce my 7000th visitor according to StatCounter. (SiteMeter will take a few days longer to reach that number but I don't care.

Ah, the wonders of blogging and its ability to feed my vanity.

More Halloween Hangings – Banners 11

2008-10-25T14:16:00.001-07:00

Since the last post more colorful Halloween banners have been spotted on my morning walks.

Some on houses:

Others outside classrooms at the neighborhood elementary school:

Just another reminder of what's coming next Friday. Enjoy!

Harbingers of Halloween – Banners 10

2008-10-20T21:20:00.001-07:00

October has been a month in which I've had a hard time finding time to post. But my camera was busy on some morning walks and the following pictures, taken about 10 days ago, announced the approach of Halloween in my neighborhood about a week before the yard decorations appeared.

Ah, now my preparation for those little trick-or-treaters can proceed. The Ancient One will be ready when they arrive on the evening of the 31^st.

Enjoy!

It's Been A While. . .

2008-10-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

This has not been an active blogging month. In addition to being busy, at the moment I am in Houston; arrived here 2 days ago and will head back to L.A. tomorrow afternoon.

My sister (from the Detroit area) and I are here visiting my brother and sister-in-law. He had coronary artery by-pass surgery last spring followed by complications and did not get home for 3 months. He has no memory of the first 7 weeks of hospitalization. But, for the most part, he is now fine.

We have been sharing stories and memories. And we have been eating. We do that a lot in this family. Some of this I will share in the future along with pictures of our reunion.

It has been an emotional few days. And it has been important. Of the 3 of us remaining (our oldest brother died 12 years ago), The Ancient One is the baby. And we realize how deeply we are tied to each other even though we were not terribly close in our youth and we now are separated geographically.

So many memories of our parents and family life have been revived. We have brought each other up-to-date about our own children and grandchildren. The Cohanim truly live and our progeny are scattered across this country. We realize how important it is to keep our parents legacy alive and we will carry the memories of this week back to our own branches of the family tree.

More soon!

Blatant Self-Promotion (4)

2008-10-11T15:22:00.001-07:00

During this past summer, The Ancient One wrote 2 posts about working a 4 day gig on TV series Boston Legal (here and here). Well, based on the TV promos and the listings at IMDb, that episode is scheduled to be aired on this coming Monday evening (October 13) at 10:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m. Central) on ABC.

Assuming, the jury gets some air time, The Ancient One should be seen in Chair #2 (front row, 2^nd from the left) in the jury box. Again, he will not be heard but, unlike his recent sketch comedy appearance on Talkshow With Spike Feresten here), his face should be seen.

I'm excited about this appearance because I have really enjoyed the opportunities to work background on Boston Legal and this is their last season. It completes filming in mid-November with the final episode to be aired probably in late January or early February. It is a series that I will truly miss (and not because I have worked on it several times over 3 seasons.)

Deciding For Whom To Vote

2008-10-09T23:12:00.001-07:00

I generally don't talk about politics on this blog. There's enough garbage out there and I really don't want to comment on the campaigns and the latest round of charges and counter-charges that change daily. I find it depressing that otherwise honorable people reach the point where the desire to win leads them to fling garbage at their opponents. I guess they figure that they have nothing to lose and maybe the garbage will stick.

Actually, I believe there is a simple way to make a decision on whom to vote for in the presidential election. It is a method that allows you to turn off the news and cast a ballot with a high level of confidence that you have made the right choice according to your own beliefs. It works for Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative.

To make your electoral decision, ask yourself the following question: If elected President, what type of people will McCain or Obama appoint to the U.S. Supreme Court? I feel this is the most important question to ask because the long-term impact of any President is found in the decisions of the people appointed to be Justices on the highest court in the land.

It's a simple question and, for me, it makes my decision a very easy one.

Thoughts On Liberty, Freedom and Democracy

2008-10-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

What a pretentious title! I've been thinking about this post for a week or so and I couldn't think of anything else to call it. It was brought on by a combination of inflated, often outrageous campaign rhetoric combined with being prodded to think about what book had the most profound impact on my life.

My parents were always involved in the community on issues of free speech and minority rights. The "McCarthy era" came about during my formative years. And somehow, I was eventually led to graduate work in political science from experiences in politics and political campaigning. With my background, I always cared deeply about freedom and the human condition.

About 50 years ago, I took a college course in political philosophy. One of the assigned readings was John Stuart Mill's On Liberty (originally written in 1859). I still have the copy I bought way back when. It was a used copy, edited by Alburey Castell that had been published in 1947.

Inside this small (118 page) volume, I found a passage that spoke to me and succinctly summarized my deepest beliefs: "If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of contrary opinion, mankind would no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."

One sentence! And I have quoted it to students over and over again for nearly half a century. It seems to me to that this summarizes one of the basic tenets of representative democracy. (Mill followed up on this essay in 1861 with his Considerations on Representative Government.)

Whenever politicians and demagogues talk about democracy, they are always quick to point out that it entails majority rule. But they generally forget that representative democracy also is based on minority rights. The framers of the U.S. Constitution created checks and balances to prevent tyranny. They added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution to protect the rights of individuals. And the Supreme Court has, for the most part, been the guardian of those rights, preventing elected officials and popular majorities from "silencing that one person" or oppressing minorities.

Obviously, American history is not perfect in this regard. There were infringements on "unalienable rights" from the beginning and they have continued through to the present. But I thank the friends whose suggestion sent me scurrying for my copy of On Liberty. It's an important reminder of basic democratic values as we listen to half truths and attacks on those who are willing to listen to all points of view, no matter how unpopular. For me, Mill still provides a guide to what ought to be!

On TV at Last

2008-10-03T16:10:00.001-07:00

The Ancient One finally made his appearance on Talkshow With Spike Feresten on Fox TV last Saturday night at midnight. The sketch can be found here on YouTube,

I know, you can't recognize him. And the hair that was cut away for the shoot has mostly grown back in.

L’Shana Tovah - 5769

2008-09-29T14:47:00.001-07:00

On the Jewish calendar, the year 5769 begins at sundown this evening. While it has been a good year for my family, there are thoughts of those who are no longer with us and live on in our memories

Repeating what I said last fall, each year is a new beginning and the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provide an opportunity to cleanse the soul, ask for forgiveness for the collective transgressions of all people, and pray for a better year ahead. . .for everyone around the globe. In terms of what is happening on the world today, our prayers take on even greater significance this year. May all people around the world be inscribed for a year of peace, tranquility, love and freedom from want.

L'Shana Tovah. Have a good, sweet, peaceful year.

Grisham Without the Legal Stuff

2008-09-26T21:02:00.001-07:00

Most fiction readers are familiar with some of John Grisham's 15+ legal thrillers. But he has also, on occasion, written books that are not related to the legal system. I just finished the latest such Grisham effort, Playing for Pizza.

The hero is Rick Dockery, a perennial 3^rd string NFL quarterback, who seems to be hidden on a different roster every season. At the beginning of the book, he has called on with 11 minutes left in the Super Bowl, the starting and 2^nd string quarterbacks out with injuries, and his team leading by 17 points. Somehow he manages to lose the game even though the defense played outstanding ball. Of course, Rick remembers nothing because he was flattened and suffered a concussion on the final play of the game.

Everything and everyone suggests that Dockery should retire from the game even though he is only 28 years old. But he wants to play. The only offer, which he finally accepts, is with the Parma Panthers of the Italian NFL. Off we go to Italy with Rick. We see him gradually make the adjustment in a league with no more than 3 Americans on each roster and where most of the local players are there for the love of the game, not money. That is the source of the Playing for Pizza title.

This was a quick, easy read and a lot of fun. We learn as much about Italian food, opera and churches as we do about football. Of course, I won't give away the outcome of the story as Rick leads Parma through the Italian NFL season. This is one of those stories that does not require any deep thinking as you speed through its pages. It certainly was a fine read for The Ancient One as he took his daily morning walk through the neighborhood.

Champions of the West. . .

2008-09-25T19:52:00.001-07:00

I'm writing this while watching the Dodgers final home game of the season on TV. And it is a meaningless game. Thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals who defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier today, the Dodgers took the field tonight as the champions of the west. The Ancient One is feeling rather happy and content at the moment. Hopefully, that feeling will continue through the playoffs and World Series.

A historical note: As I recall from when I was growing up in Detroit several decades ago, the phrase "champions of the west" was a line in the University of Michigan fight song. It had great meaning to the population of southeastern Michigan. Tonight it a meaningful phrase again for those of us on the left coast who now wait to see which team from "back east" the Dodgers will face in the first round of the playoffs opening next week.