If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
And treat those two impostors just the same;
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Commentary
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Good news glows brightly. Heats warmly.
A series of good news.
A dear friend who is going through some difficult times has had his annual physical and is pronounced in great shape.
Cousin Lauren doing very well as she rushes towards a successful conclusion of her quest for her college degree, Biology major.
Daughter Kat doing equally well in her new role as President of the Student Government Organization, as well as her quest for an edifying summer program.
She’s considering several offers, anyone one of which would be a significant achievement.
The blog’s new delivery system seems to be working although it’s swept up several names not intended for inclusion.
That was a long time and a lot of effort to make happen.
And we’re now focused on getting our LinkedIn account running as a vibrant way to add new subscribers.
While there have been some setbacks, when are there not?
I think back on Kipling’s famous poem.
Meanwhile, although we must be careful to treat triumph and disaster, those two impostors, equally,
the glow of good news glows brightly. Heats warmly.
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Announcement/Tip
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Went into Costco Thursday night and was shocked to see row upon row of cases of wine, beer, and liquor. Not talking about the corner of the space in which they run the little boutique liquor store but the large space of the warehouse floor.
Prices are what we expect of Costco. I bought a few bottles of the most reasonably priced wines. I’ll taste them and report back.
We’re in a warm stretch.
What fun!
Let’s enjoy this weather, each day of it.
The hours are ticking away and if we don’t make the most of our time another day will soon click past.
Unnoticed.
Unappreciated.
Tick Tock.
In clock language:
Enjoy today.
Enjoy the week.
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Postings Count, Weather Brief, and Dinner
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Our 407th consecutive posting, committed to 5,000.
After 407 posts we’re at the 8.14 percentile of our commitment, the commitment a different way of marking the passage of time.
Time is 12.01am.
On Saturday, Boston’s temperature will reach a high of 70* with a feels-like of 70* and stay mainly sunny.
Dinner tonight is London Broil and broccoli rabe w garlic, crushed red pepper, and olive oil.
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Question of the Day:
What is Don Giovanni?
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Chuckle of the Day:
Saturday, May 18, 2019
With the birth of their 11th child the cousins decided they’d had enough. The bed was getting too crowded.
The price putting a vasectomy out of their reach, the veterinarian proposed a way that has worked in that region for decades, even centuries.
“Get a cherry bomb and go home. Light it. Put it in a beer van. Hold the can up to your ear and count to ten.”
“I don’t see how that’s going to help me none.”
The vet, “Trust me.”
So the man followed instructions and began the count out loud, the finger of his free left hand following his words.
"1
"2
"3
"4
"5.”
At which point he paused, placed the can between his legs, and resumed the count, now using his right hand to continue the count.
The procedure is medically effective in many counties across the United States.
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Love your notes.
Contact me at domcapossela@hotmail.com
Saturday, May 18, 2019
This from Sally C, taking off on a tangent from the original ‘regular’ discussion.
Dear Dom,
Your new blog came into my inbox today, as did the original version earlier yesterday afternoon. Your summary notes at the end are not there, however. Is this intentional?
Howard's exposition on "Jewishness," "otherness," and the perceptions and misperceptions of each about the other is fascinating. It puts me in mind of James Michener's "The Source," which reveals the origins and development of the Jewish culture and heritage - I sure learned a lot! - from "Day One," so to speak, to modern times (I hope accurately). From these paltry and infrequent observations of mine, I think that Jewishness is more deeply rooted or entwined in Jewish DNA, inextricable, in race, culture, religion, social norms, etc.. than in other ethnic or racial groups.
Considering how the Jews have been persecuted from time immemorial, from ostracization to genocide, is it any wonder that they should be "clannish?" Some complain that Jews are too clever financially, but don't realize that non-Jews drove them to become so, forbidding them in Old Europe from owning property, finding gainful employment, patronizing certain businesses, and such. How is one to survive such oppression? Out of lack of other options, Jews became good at handling money, and non-Jews became good at relying on them to handle their financial affairs. So if we non-Jews have a problem with Jews' money-management skills, we have only ourselves to blame. It boils down to jealousy from those who haven't done the hard work in investing in themselves the discipline to succeed. They would pull down the successful just because they are successful. Class envy and all that, all too prevalent today among us all.
How much of the Gentiles' denigration of Jews is nothing more than jealousy that Jews have a clan to be clannish with?
Well, I can't say I intended to go on so, but clearly I have. In any case, Howard's missives with their gentle seasonings of humor and insight, are great tidbits that enlighten us all in many ways. Thank you, Howard!
Wed Meister responds: Well-intended, Sally.
Howard responds: Thanks for the kind words Sally.
Beyond that, I can’t really respond. I am not familiar with Mr. Michener’s book. And, given the inescapable inference I must make that the cultural historical highlights that Sally cites must be drawn from his book, I am not sure I would want to. There are too many places in this single paragraph to attempt to start a refutation of what I read as glittering generalities and stereotypes that have, it seems, become unquestioned.
Also, of course, I am not an apologist for a whole people. Nor should anyone be.
My main rejoinder would be that, in fact, I was trying gently and delicately to address what is to me an essentially philosophical problem for all humans, that is, dealing with the personal discovery and embrace of anyone’s sense of identity, and coping with the inevitable perception of the other. I wasn’t trying to make a sweeping sociological assessment of an ethnicity that has lived in virtually every part of the world for three thousand years.
I’ll only add that history, whether of a person, or of a nation, is never monolithic. It certainly doesn’t boil down to a matter of alleged mastery of a specific skill—though I hasten to add that there is much to be gained from the lesson embedded in the history of western civilization of making the most of a very slim set of choices given any group of people by their masters as to what activities that group is permitted to engage in by the constraints of society’s rules. If you aren’t allowed into the concert hall, you learn to play the blues most compellingly out on the sidewalk.
Wed Meister responds: Howard, you always write brilliantly. This certainly has found its way into the inner circle of best writings. Every sentence may be taken as a lead to an essay of its own.
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Answer to the Question of the Day:
What is Don Giovanni?
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte.
It is based on the legends of Don Juan, a fictional libertine and seducer.
Portrait of Francisco D'Andrade in the title role by Max Slevogt, 1912
Don Giovannis invitation to the statue of the Commendatore
Max Slevogt - fwG9gQnejjlvpQ at Google Cultural Institute, zoom level maximum
It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the National Theater (of Bohemia), now called the Estates Theatre, on 29 October 1787.
Da Ponte's libretto was billed as a dramma giocoso, a common designation of its time that denotes a mixing of serious and comic action.
Mozart entered the work into his catalogue as an opera buffa.
Although sometimes classified as comic, it blends comedy, melodrama and supernatural elements.
A staple of the standard operatic repertoire, Don Giovanni for the five seasons 2011/12 through 2015/16 was ninth on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.
It has also proved a fruitful subject for writers and philosophers.
So many good things happen to me i keep a list of them in here.
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Good Morning on this Saturday, the eighteenth day of May, 2019
Our homily spoke about enjoying good news.
We posted the weather and date and tracked the number of postings.
We posted an announcement on Costco.
And a letter from Sally who went off on a tangent from the discussion of ‘regular’ carried forward for several postings.
And a chuckle.
And we talked a bit about Don Giovanni, a sweet and easy opera, a perfect entry-level step into the genre.
And now? Gotta go.
Che vuoi? Le pocketbook?
See you soon.