To fair winds and calm seas.....

I'm getting rather concerned about the blog readers out there. You all must be either ill or very busy. It's been a while since I've gotten any comments, and I hope it's not because recent blogs have been somewhat dull. Usually comments come pouring in whether or not they make any sense or have reference to the particular blog. Anyway, for your information, Red Baron has never rejected a comment and they are immortalized in the book that gets published when there are enough pages to make a book. The next one will be "Pater Noster in Condoland, Vol. IV". It may take a while because there's about 150 more pages to go. Right now, I'm working on a dedication. I have some ideas about the dedication, but no decision is forthcoming. I've dedicated a book to my parents, to my kids, and to my wife. I'd dedicate a book to the grandchildren, but they're not old enough. Besides, I don't believe they've read any of my books. Perhaps they'll develop some interest in my "Memoirs" when they are 50 something. Right now I do understand their lack of motivation. If I'm wrong, I'll be amazed.

In six more days, we'll be going on a 10 day cruise, and both RH+ and I are really in need of a vacation. Just think--10 days without a phone call. Here, the phone doesn't stop ringing all day long. Another perk is that we don't have to make any decisions about what to do about dinner, and Rho will not have to cook or make the bed or do a laundry or wash the dishes or get the mail or use up gas on the car. By the time we leave she will have sent out all the Hanukkah and Christmas cards and delivered gifts to all the doctors' offices. Rho is efficiency personified. We usually bring the receptionists tins of cookies that we pick up in Costco or Wal-Mart. We'll be coming home on the 27th of December just in time to welcome the New Year. So far, our plans are to spend New Year's Eve at the Isle Casino with Mike and Helen Herbstman. Going out to dinner and a movie is no longer in our repertoire.

While we are away, I'm going to have to reacquaint myself with the "torn shirt" school of acting notably portrayed by Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire" in the role of Stanley Kowalski. Back many years ago when I taught Shakespeare to my classes, I used to do Hamlet's soliloquies by ripping my shirt into shreds. This tactic instantly turned the class into awestruck, jaw dropping attention; that is, after the laughter abated. The "torn shirt" school and method acting supposedly originated with the Russian Konstantin Stanislovsky. In Stanislavski's 'system' the actor analyzes deeply the motivations and emotions of the character in order to personify him or her with psychological realism and emotional authenticity. Using the Method, an actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed. And so when my next class begins on January 9th, I will be prepared to recite some of "Hamlet" using "The Method" and becoming Brando and Richard Burton, and Laurence Olivier, and Richard Chamberlain-- all at the same time!