https://pixabay.com/photos/cycling-bike-bmx-jump-man-4287588/
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FLYING BICYCLIST
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Flying bicyclist
This would make a great sculpture
Weld it high in air
***
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There’s a carousel of people I know
nestled into my phone feed
that are having kids, buying homes
doing everything right and
looking good doing it
There are nights I stay up late
and imagine all the things I’ve done wrong
and how I could’ve grasped perfection
plucked it off the tree
if I had tried hard enough.
By morning, I’m forgiving myself
heading to the market and seeking
only the best fruit
I’m digging my fingernails into the flesh
making sure the peach is sweet
I’m poking and prodding and
making sure there’s not a single bruise
that I end up creating one anyway.
• The great black dancer Bill Robinson, aka Mr. Bojangles, fought prejudice. He and his wife were on a train going from Chicago to St. Louis when they went to the dining car to eat. To avoid trouble, they usually waited until all the white people had eaten, but this time they knew that the dining car was going to be dropped off early. There was one white man still in the dining car, so they asked if he would mind if they ate in the dining car. He didn’t, so they began to seat themselves at a table. The steward said, “This table is reserved,” and refused to let them be seated. Mr. Bojangles was furious and pulled out a gun. The train conductor telegraphed down the line that a madman with a gun was in the dining car. Fortunately, Mr. Bojangles was friends with the police in that town and so was not arrested — also, he had gotten rid of the gun before the police showed up. In St. Louis, he made a complaint against the steward to the railroad manager, who said he would fire the steward. However, Mr. Bojangles didn’t want the man to lose his job, so he said, “I’m playing at the Orpheum Theater. If he wants to come down and apologize to me, I won’t force this charge against him.” The steward did apologize and saved his job.
• It pays to have a script supervisor on a television series. At a story conference for the episode “The Twizzle” on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the principals of the show were having a hard time figuring out what was wrong with a scene, so they met in the commissary later, came up with several ideas, and figured out how to fix it. Series creator Carl Reiner then asked, “My God, is anybody getting this down?” Fortunately, script supervisor Marge Mullen wrote the ideas down on a napkin, then typed them up later. Ms. Mullen also came up with the “SOS” notebook. Often, people would have good ideas for the series, but they wouldn’t fit the particular episode being worked on. Ms. Mullen wrote down the ideas and kept them in her “SOS — Some Other Show” notebook. When people became stuck for ideas, she used the SOS notebook as a source of ideas.
• Hollywood screenwriter Ben Hecht found it hard to do his job because he kept being interrupted and forced to attend story conferences with Sam Goldwyn. To solve his problem, he convinced Mr. Goldwyn to hire a collaborator for him, and he picked out Charles Lederer to work with. Thereafter, when Mr. Goldwyn called Mr. Hecht to a story conference, Mr. Hecht told Mr. Lederer exactly what to do — Mr. Lederer was to stretch out on a sofa in the conference room and go to sleep. This unnerved Mr. Goldwyn, but Mr. Hecht pointed out that under union rules, his collaborator had to attend story conferences with him. Soon, Mr. Goldwyn stopped forcing Mr. Hecht to attend story conferences, and Mr. Hecht was able to get some writing done.
• After Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West from the Soviet Union, he began to dance with Margot Fonteyn. At first, Ms. Fonteyn resisted the idea. She was much older than Mr. Nureyev and felt, “It would be like mutton dancing with lamb.” However, she and her husband discussed the idea of the dance partnership. They decided that Mr. Nureyev would be the next great sensation in ballet and for the benefit of her career, Ms. Fonteyn decided to dance with him. Despite the practical nature of her decision, it was a wise one, and the two dancers blossomed artistically together.
• The St. Louis Cardinals, aka the Gas House Gang, once faced a poor-pitching team whose starting pitcher walked four Cardinals in a row before being yanked. The next pitcher also fared poorly, walking two Cardinals and hitting two more Cardinals with balls. Batting ninth for the Cardinals was pitcher Dizzy Dean, who hit a weak grounder back to the pitcher, who misfielded the ball, allowing Dizzy to reach first safely. At first base, Dizzy complained, “A fine team I’m playing on. It isn’t enough that I do the pitching, I have to do the hitting, too.”
• Robert Benchley’s first secretary was Charles MacGregor, one of whose jobs was to get Mr. Benchley out of bed. This he did in various ways, such as walking into Mr. Benchley’s bedroom and saying, “The men are here for the trunks.” This news awoke Mr. Benchley immediately, and by the time he realized that no men had come for the trunks, it was impossible for him to go back to sleep. On another occasion, Mr. MacGregor woke Mr. Benchley by saying, “There are some men here to flood the bed for skating.”
• Pope John XXIII, the son of impoverished farmers, once gave an audience to Italian peasants and farmers. He told them, “I know how unrewarding work on the land can be. I speak to you as the son of Roncalli the winegrower. And yet, if the good Lord had not made me a pope, I would rather be a farmer than anything else.”
• Gioacchino Rossini wrote and produced his opera buffamasterpiece, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, very quickly. In fact, it was composed — and rehearsed and staged — in less than a month. When Gaetano Donizetti, another fast worker, learned this, he said of Rossini, “Well, he always was lazy.”
• Pitcher Left Gomez retired from major league baseball, then sought employment elsewhere. A job application form asked for the reason why he had left his previous job, so Lefty wrote, “I couldn’t get the side out.”
• “Body piercing. A powerful, compelling visual statement that says ‘Gee … in today’s competitive job market, what can I do to make myself even moreunemployable?’” — Dennis Miller, Ranting Again.
• “To test the worth of a man’s religion, do business with him.” — Bishop John Lancaster Spaulding.
• “Nothing is really work unless you’d rather be doing something else.” — James Barrie.
***
Copyright by Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
***
FUNNIEST PEOPLE IN DANCE (PAPERBACK)
***
SOMETIMES FREE EBOOKS
John Ford’s The Broken Heart: A Retelling, by David Bruce
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William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: A Retelling in Prose, by David Bruce
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/530136
Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist: A Retelling, by David Bruce
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/731768
***
“Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.”
Wendell Berry, author, book quote from “Citizenship Papers: Essays”, p.157, Counterpoint Press
heat waves
distant shimmering mirage
dancing on hot sand
bringing to the desert
a distant oasis
brimming with wonder
an ocean view
blending of hot and cool
light reflections
Carpe Diem Haiku Kai: #1687 Troiku Month Heat Waves
Author’s Note:The haiku given to create a Troiku:
heat waves
bringing to the desert
an ocean view
© Jane Reichhold (extracted from “A Dictionary of Haiku”, the online version)
https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-woman-beauty-camera-media-4305560/
***
TWO ARTISTS
***
There are two artists
God and a photographer
Both work together
***
NOTE: God is a sculptor of the female form.
***
Free davidbrucehaiku #14 eBook (pdf)
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Free eBook: YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIND: Volume 1 (pdf)
Free eBook: YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIND: Volume 2 (pdf)
Free eBook: YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIND: Volume 3 (pdf)
https://pixabay.com/photos/cool-person-relaxed-sunglasses-2649325/
***
ALWAYS BE YOURSELF?
***
Always be yourself?
If you can be Keanu,
Then be Mister Reeves
***
SOMETIMES FREE EBOOK
John Ford’s The Broken Heart: A Retelling, by David Bruce
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/792090
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079V5BCJZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i8
***
SOMETIMES FREE EBOOK
William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: A Retelling in Prose, by David Bruce
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/530136
https://www.amazon.com/William-Shakespeares-Measure-Retelling-Prose-ebook/dp/B00V7IRT9O
***
SOMETIMES FREE EBOOK
Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist: A Retelling
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https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Jonsons-Alchemist-David-Bruce-ebook/dp/B0738VSHPY
***
PS: I like online reviews.
• B.B. King got a lucky break early in his career in Memphis. Bluesman and radio hostSonny Boy Williamson made a mistake and agreed to sing at two different clubs at the same time, an obvious impossibility. Therefore, he decided to let B.B. sing at one of the clubs—the one that paid less. However, he knew that the owner of that club, Miss Annie, was tough and would not let B.B. play at her club unless he could bring in some customers. No problem. Sonny Boy knew how to make B.B. a celebrity in a hurry—he simply put B.B. on his radio show and had him play some music. Miss Annie and lots of potential customers were listening, and B.B. brought in a bunch of customers when he played at Miss Annie’s club. Another early job that B.B. had at about the same time was selling a popular all-purpose tonic called Pepticon. He played his guitar and sang and then sold Pepticon. For a long time, he wondered why Pepticon was so popular, and then he discovered that it was 12 percent alcohol.
• Chris Tucker, comedian and actor, once visited Ethiopia, where he talked with two nuns about their work running an orphanage. The two nuns admitted to growing discouraged occasionally. However, one nun had worked with Mother Teresa, and Mother Teresa’s words comforted them: “You know how an ocean gets filled up? One drop of rain at a time.” The nun identifies the lesson these words teach: “So you just keep doing what you can do.”
• In 2007, at age 81, actor Dick Van Dyke starred in the mystery movie If Wishes Were Horseson the Hallmark Channel. The movie also featured Barry, Mr. Van Dyke’s son, as well as Shane, Mr. Van Dyke’s grandson. Of course, Mr. Van Dyke has a very good reason for giving work to his young relatives. He points out, “I found that one way to see my children is to give them work.” Of course, members of the Van Dyke family do see each other outside of work, although family get-togethers happen mainly at holidays. As Mr. Van Dyke says, “They have very busy lives, these young people.”
• Henri Landwirth was very ambitious. He worked in a New York City hotel, and he studied hotel management. He once bribed a night accountant with a bottle of whiskey. Why? Not to get out of work. Instead, Mr. Landwirth wanted to do the night accountant’s work for him. Mr. Landwirth ended up learning every job in that New York City hotel. He became very wealthy, and he founded Give the Kids the World in 1985. This hotel and recreation complex in Florida gives a fun experience to kids with life-threatening illnesses and to the kids’ families.
• Actors Eli Wallach and his wife, Anne Jackson, once appeared on TV in a light comedy called “Lullaby” on the program titled Play of the Week. Afterward, TV mover-and-shaker David Susskind told them, “I think ‘Lullaby’ can be developed into a series. I’ll own a third, you’ll own a third, and the network will own a third. And if it’s successful, your children will never have to work again.” Eli and Anne discussed the offer, and Anne asked, “Why shouldn’t the children work?” The two decided they didn’t want to do the series.
• Mack Sennett made a lot of comedies in the silent-film days, including the famous Keystone Cops comedies. Mr. Sennett liked to keep an eye on his employees, so he had a tower built in the middle of his movie studio. That way, he could look out and see what everyone was doing. Mr. Sennett also loved taking baths, so he had a huge marble bathtub built in the tower. When he wasn’t spying on his employees or doing real work such as planning a comedy, he was often either taking a bath or getting a massage.
• Bob Hope made some very good movies and some very bad movies during his career. One of his very bad movies was a short titled Going Spanishwhich he made early in his career. Mr. Hope joked to columnist Walter Winchell about how bad the movie was: “When they catch [bank robber] John Dillinger, they’re going to make him sit through it twice.” Mr. Winchell printed the joke in his column, and Mr. Hope’s movie company fired him.
• Robin Williams found out that his TV sitcom Mork and Mindyhad been cancelled when he read about it in the trade newspapers—the studio did not even show him the courtesy of calling him on the telephone first before releasing the news to the media. At the time, he was working with fellow comedian Eric Idle in The Tale of the Frog Prince, and he says, “I was so angry and hurt—and I was dressed as a frog!”
• Behind the scenes of the hit sitcom Roseanne, a power struggle raged as star Roseanne wrestled control of the show away from executive producer Matt Williams. In the turmoil, many writers either quit or were fired, and one former writer for Roseanne paid for an advertisement in Varietythat announced that he was planning a vacation “in the relative peace and quiet of Beirut.”
• Arthur Fiedler, conductor of the Boston Pops (for popular, rather than pop, music), lived by the personal motto, “He who rests rots.” Long after most people retire, he was still at work bringing music to other people. Of course, one piece of advice that he gave other people was “to make your life’s work something that you really enjoy.”
• Caryll Householder, author of This War is the Passion, once worked as a cleaning lady, but unfortunately she was afraid of mice. Part of her job was to take dead mice out of traps, but rather than do that herself, she paid the cooks to do it. The bribes took up most of her salary, so she quit her job.
***
Copyright by Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
***
SOMETIMES FREE EBOOKS
John Ford’s The Broken Heart: A Retelling, by David Bruce
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/792090
William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: A Retelling in Prose, by David Bruce
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/530136
Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist: A Retelling, by David Bruce
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/731768
***
***
Buy the Paperback: 250 MUSIC ANECDOTES
http://www.lulu.com/shop/david-bruce/250-music-anecdotes/paperback/product-22210166.html
https://pixabay.com/photos/person-woman-cap-masked-creepy-4292369/
***
WHO ELSE CAN YOU BE?
***
Always be yourself
Makeup’s a little extreme
But it works for you
***
NOTE: The photograph is of a woman.
***
Free davidbrucehaiku #14 eBook (pdf)
Free davidbrucehaiku #13 eBook (pdf)
Free davidbrucehaiku #12 eBook (pdf)
Free davidbrucehaiku #11 eBook (pdf)
Free davidbrucehaiku eBooks (pdfs)
Free eBooks by David Bruce (pdfs)
Free eBook: YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIND: Volume 1 (pdf)
Free eBook: YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIND: Volume 2 (pdf)
Free eBook: YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIND: Volume 3 (pdf)
When you ask for help
Sometimes it comes right away
Other times you wait
But just when you want to quit
A door opens in response
©2019 Annette Rochelle Aben
davidbruceblog #2 