The Wendie Malick Effect. Is It Synchronicity?

wendie-malick-and-ian-hunter — Wendie Malick and Ian Hunter

Tuesday morning. Hear the Elle King song “Shame.” Try to remember which former “Saturday Night Live” cast member is her father, David Spade or Rob Schneider. Look up David Spade online and start reading about his 1990’s sitcom “Just Shoot Me.” See the cast list of Spade, George Segal, Laura San Giacomo, and Wendie Malick. Haven’t thought of most of them in years. Wonder what happened to Wendie Malick.

Tuesday evening. Watching the first few moments of “This is Us” with Barb. Flashback scene to Toby’s youth. Briefly see a face that isn’t one of the regular cast members. She looks familiar, but can’t quite place her. The opening credits roll, and damn if there isn’t a new name is on the cast list. You guessed it, it’s Wendie Malick. An actress who hasn’t been on even the fringes of my mind, and suddenly there she is, twice in one day.

So what is this? Is it a coincidence? Is it synchronicity? Is it just one of those things? How often does it happen to you? Something that is completely inexplicable, something that is statistically unlikely, but it happens none the less.

It’s like our New York City experience. On three separate occasions, we have randomly bumped into different relatives while on one of our weekend jaunts. True, the cousin who tapped on my shoulder in a movie theater was living in New York at the time, but the other two are from Chicago. What are the odds of running across them in a city of 8 million, most of whom seem to be crowding into Manhattan at the same time?

Or how about my frequent music experience? Lin Brehmer on WXRT will start my morning playing something relatively obscure like an Ian Hunter song from the ’70’s. During my lunchtime workout on the treadmill, the same darn song will pop up on my Pandora station. And by the time I am driving home that evening, Me-TV will be playing the same rarity. A “Once Bitten Twice Shy” Triple Play? Can it all be just a sonic coincidence?

As a non-believer in pseudoscience, I have to know these are all just highly unlikely incidents that happened for no particular reason. There isn’t a cosmic force twisting and altering the space-time continuum that makes me intersect with Wendie Malick twice in one day. And I expect I will go the rest of my life without coming across another reference to Laura San Giacomo.

But if Ian Hunter just happens to be in the neighborhood and knocks on the laboratory door asking for directions tomorrow, you best believe I am going to start playing the lottery…

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After 62 Years, is “My Fair Lady” is Still Loverly?

my-fair-lady-1956-2018 — Lauren Ambrose and Harry Hadden-Paton in the Lincoln Center production of My Fair Lady.

When the orchestra began the Overture, I felt the tears in my eyes. After 62 years, I was sitting on Broadway (The Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center, fifth-row center) watching a gorgeous production of My Fair Lady.

“So what?” most of you will say. Isn’t that some old musical about some old guy who takes advantage of a young woman? There’s no hip-hop. There are no juke-box favorites from the 60’s or 70’s. No sorcerers or green witches or Disney Princesses. Who cares about this old dinosaur?

Me, me, me! My Fair Lady debuted in 1956, the same year I was born. I grew up with the soundtrack album. The picture of George Bernard Shaw on the cover, the puppet-master/God to Henry Higgins and Liza Doolittle played by Rex Harrison and an almost-new-comer named Julie Andrews. Julie-f’in Andrews! Not on the screen as magical Mary Poppins, or as sweet-as-sugar Maria von Trapp, but live on stage as Eliza, the “gutter-snipe” who learns to become a lady.

I can sing every song, every word, and frequently have. From the fun of “A Little Bit of Luck,” through the schmaltz of “On the Street Where You Live,” to the sadness and self-realization of “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.” I knew them all by the time I was five years old.

And here I was sitting and watching the giant stage with Higgins’ home revolving in front of me; clapping for the show-stopping raunchy chorus celebrating Alfred Doolittle’s last night of freedom before marriage; admiring Liza’s stunning performance at the Embassy Ball. It took all of my will-power, and a stern hand on my arm from Barb, for me not to stand up sing along.

We saw one of the last productions featuring Lauren Ambrose as Eliza. She will be replaced soon by Laura Benanti. We first saw Laura in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. I am sure she appreciates working with slightly better material this time around! Harry Hadden-Paton and Norbert Leo Butz were great in the other lead roles. Can I help it if I kept wondering what it would have been like to be in the theater for Julie and Rex in 1956?

On our walk back to the hotel after the show, there was time for discussion of the historical and sociological underpinnings of the show and its relevancy in the #metoo movement moment. They are relevant points. But for three hours I was in another world. And I loved it.

Thanks for the pre-anniversary surprise, Babe!

And to all you readers, what is your favorite Broadway memory?

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Another Full and Complete Investigation. Are These the 5 Rules?

Happy days, it’s time for another investigation! In case you haven’t been following the news, Jamal Khashoggi, a correspondent for the Washington Post and critic of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family disappeared on October 2nd after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. It is widely believed he was murdered by a Saudi hit squad, with the knowledge of the Saudi royals.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met today with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who denied knowledge of the alleged assassination. This was followed by tweets from President Trump stating:

Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate. He was with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the call, and told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly.

But I think the “full and complete investigation” may come with some limitations. Based on recent history we can assume:

The investigation must be completed in 72 hours.
No members of the Saudi Royal Family may be interviewed.
The suspected Saudi killers (they were reportedly seen on video) may not be interviewed.
Any evidence discovered in the Saudi Consulate in Ankara may not be considered.
The investigators must ignore any evidence presented by women.

You say that may result in a biased and inaccurate investigation? Now what ever gave you that idea?

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Democrats Seek Hoaxer for Nation-Wide Opportunity

trump-and-blasey — President Trump calls Dr. Ford’s allegations a hoax.

It was all a Democrat inspired hoax! At least that is what President Trump now has to say about Christine Blasey Ford and her allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.

Wondering how those sly Democrats (almost) pulled it off I decided to do some research. I hit paydirt when I found the following want ad in the July 10th edition of the Tribune, just a day after the Kavanaugh nomination. It was listed under the category of “Jobs No One Could be Paid Enough To Do.”

The want ad read:

Wanted: Middle-aged professional woman to play the role of “hoaxer” in the nationally televised production of Let’s Screw Brett Kavanaugh.

The successful candidate for this position must:

Have no history of political activity.
Have attended high school in 1982-1983 in the vicinity of Georgetown Preparatory School.
Have previously discussed with husband and therapist a fraudulent attempted sexual assault against her while a high school student.
Be willing to compose phony letters describing above and submitting them to her congressional representatives.
Have the ability to illegitimately pass a polygraph (lie detector) examination verifying the above.
Be willing to have her name released to the media.
Be willing to face death threats.
Be willing to relocate her home and go into hiding.
Be able to testify in a Senate hearing in a manner that the President of the United States might call “compelling” and “very credible.”

Salary negotiable.

Please apply to Democratic National Committee or The Deep State. You know where to find us!

Poor Dr. Ford. I’m sure it is one job application she wishes she had passed up.
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A Friend Needs a Kidney Transplant. Four Things You Can Do.

I use this blog to communicate my thoughts, ideas, and sometimes to have a little fun. Once a year I ask for something from each of you when I raise funds for prostate cancer awareness. That can be a gift of life; many of you have graciously donated to that cause.

But today I am asking for something more, a much different gift of life. The 31-year-old daughter of a friend of mine needs a living donor kidney transplant. I hope to reach out to hundreds or thousands of you, but it will only take one person out there to make it happen.

Why would you make the incredible sacrifice of giving a kidney to someone you don’t know? Maybe it is because you believe that a young woman should not have to face a life of dialysis. Perhaps it is because someone in your own family was given some extraordinary gift from a stranger in the past. Or it could be that you want to load up on karma or improve your feng-shui, or your place on the mandala wheel. Maybe it just feels that life has been good, and you want to do something in return.

In 2017 almost 20,000 kidney transplants were performed in the US, but only a little over 6,000 living donor organ transplants of any kind were done. That is very few and speaks to the difficulty in obtaining donors for this type of transplant. Many of these donors are a family member of the transplant recipient. In my friend’s case, he donated one kidney to his daughter 14 years ago. She now requires another, and there is no family member who can currently donate.

Many people, such as Barb and I cannot donate for medical reasons. Many others cannot for family or financial reasons It’s not easy to miss a few weeks from work. That is why the net must be cast so broadly, in the hopes of finding one person who can give this immense gift. So I ask these things of you.

Consider being the kidney transplant donor. If you are interested and need more information, email me at les.raff@post.com
Spread the word. Talk to friends and family. Forward this post, or share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Become a blood donor. Not for any specific reason or person. Just because. It feels great and helps many, many people.
Lead a healthy lifestyle. For your own sake!

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photo credit: liveoncelivewild <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/147396214@N07/32945450232″>Blank Note – Write Text (a Creative Commons image)</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a>

Dogs are Dumb? Who Says?

milo-thinking — Milo gives the new study some thought.

Hey Milo! We have to talk.

See, I saw this article in my newsfeed. It says that dogs like you just aren’t that bright. Not that you are downright stupid or anything, but in the world of the animal kingdom dogs might not be the most outstanding intellectual species out there.

Two scientists –a sociologist and a psychologist from the UK–compared studies on canines to studies on a whole bunch of other animals. The usual suspects. You know. Wolves, cats, spotted hyenas, chimpanzees, dolphins, horses, and pigeons (and not just the pigeons that were going to replace me as a pathologist!) And what was their conclusion? “Dog cognition does not look exceptional.”

I have read lots of letters of reference loaded with double-speak from employers talking about their former employees. Let me tell you, Milo, “does not look exceptional” is the equivalent of saying “This guy sucked. I wouldn’t hire him again to change a light bulb.” So Milo, I think you and all your pooch companions have been thrown some nasty shade.

But Milo, we still think you are bright enough for us. You know by the shoes I choose whether we are going for a long walk or a short one. You know that a dog on a TV show isn’t one in your life, but one that is only mirrored on the TV screen is from the window behind you and worth turning around and having a good bark at.

You know when one of us is under the weather and needs a good cuddle. You know that little grandkids can sometimes be a bit handsy and pull an ear or a tail, but they mean no harm. While the kitten may hiss with indignation, you would never think of growling. And you know, so far, that you need to avoid skunks. ‘Nuff said.

So we’ll keep you around Milo. And I bet by this time next year there will be a new study saying dogs are smarter than most humans. Though I’m not sure that’s saying much…

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