tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68859470593207867002024-03-06T18:02:13.789-08:00Rodger French Proudly Presents...Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-53906105945543048262024-02-29T07:15:00.000-08:002024-02-29T07:15:02.625-08:00Felicitations From Fairhope #19<div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Felicitations From Fairhope #19</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">29 February 2024<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anne and I are marking the fourth anniversary of our retirement from the State Department and subsequent move to Fairhope, Alabama. It being a leap year, a Presidential election hellscape is upon us, so I've decided (rather than suffer in silence) to share a little background on how it’s going around here.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">[<b>Empathetic Sidebar</b> – Many of you also live in hotbeds of political dumbassery, and I share your pain. But I also recognize and respect that overt political expression may not be what you signed up for when you somehow ended up on my postings email list. Be assured that I do not intend this to be a permanent state of affairs.]<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With national elections slightly less than a typical "snowflake" pregnancy away, here’s a brief rundown of select Alabama elected officials.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Name, Title: Kay Ivey, Governor<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Party: Republican <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Job Description: Provide a typically folksy "Meemaw" avatar for typically cruel,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">reactionary, and unnecessary legislation, all in the name of "Alabama values."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Running in 2024? Nah. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Actual Quote: “<span style="background: repeat white; color: #0f1419;">In Alabama, we're going to keep putting lead on target.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="background: repeat white; color: #0f1419; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Constituent Service: Carries a gun in her purse.<span style="background: repeat white; color: #0f1419;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Name, Title: Tommy Tuberville, U.S. <s>Coach</s> Senator<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Party: Republican<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Job Description: Empty suit living in Florida, representing AL.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Running in 2024? Nope.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Actual Quote: "Our government wasn't set up for one group to have all three</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">branches of government - wasn't set up that way, you know, the House, he</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Senate, and the Executive."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Constituent Service: Goober-brained obstruction that resulted in AL losing out on</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">hosting the U.S. Space Command, at a cost of "1,400 jobs and millions of dollars</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">of economic impact." Widely regarded as the stupidest member of the Senate,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">bless his heart.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Name, Title: Katie Britt, U.S. Senator<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Party: Republican<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Job Description: Young religious zealot previously employed by retired "boll weevil</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Democrat" Sen. Richard Shelby.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Running in 2024? Nay. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Actual quote: "Freedom <u>of</u> religion doesn't mean freedom <u>from</u> religion."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Constituent Service: Continuing the time-honored tradition of "bring home the</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">bacon" to a Red State utilizing tax revenue from Blue States. (AL receives app.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">$2.00 from the Feds for every $1.00 it pays in taxes.)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><b>Name, Title: Jerry Carl, Representative, AL-01<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Party: Republican <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Job Description: Election-denying White remora desperately attached to tRump's</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">orange ass.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Running in 2024? Oh, yes. Rep. Carl is in a very nasty primary battle with some</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">GOP yahoo who is - incredibly - worse.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Actual Quote: "I will always have Donald Trump's back."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">Constituent Service: A series of questionnaires designed to bolster his MAGAty</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;">worldview, a.k.a. "Alabama values."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 2in; text-indent: -2in;"><br /></p><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">[<b>Parodic</b> <b>Disclaimer</b> - What follows is an entirely accurate representation of Rep. Carl’s questionnaire format (created by AI or an unpaid intern) that pops up from time to time in my inbox. The content herein is my own, of course, and intended for the purpose of irony in the service of reality.]<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Part 1</b>: The <u>most</u> urgent existential threat facing America today is (choose one):<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Uppity Women<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Uppity Negros<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Uppity Acronyms (BLM, CRT, DEI, LGBTQIA, WOKE)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Soros-financed Democrat Pizzerias<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Immigrant Fentanyl Mules<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Gun Control Nazis<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Public Libraries<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Part 2</b>: America's best hope for the future is (choose one):<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Seven Mountains Mandate<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Seven Pillars of Putin's World<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Seven Seas Commentary<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Seven Dwarfs Storyboard<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Seven Deadly Sins Memorandum<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Seven Wonders of the World Brochure<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> Seventh Inning Stretch Invitation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u> </u> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Part 3</b>: Questions (Yes or No)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Do you believe that Joe Biden still beats his wife? <u> </u> Yes <u> </u> No<u> </u><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. Do you support a House Select Committee to investigate whether Joe Biden still beats his wife? <u> </u> Yes <u> </u> No<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yep, business as usual and always mindful of our Official State Motto: “Alabama - We dare defend our Whites.” Happy Leap Year.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></div><div style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rodger</span></div>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-18094820348076416492023-03-11T05:26:00.002-08:002023-03-11T05:26:21.125-08:00Felicitations From Fairhope #18<p> <b style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Felicitations From Fairhope #18</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">10 March 2023<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">For more than a few years before (and occasionally during) my tenure as a Foreign Service Officer’s “Wingman,” I had a band - a pretty good one, at that - called The DeLuxe Vaudeville Orchestra. The concept was simple: A Vaudeville show in which band members doubled as variety entertainers (juggling, song & dance, etc.), with room galore for guest musicians and assorted eclectic performers. The whole enterprise was a lot of work and buckets of fun, and we had a nice run.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I like to think that I got pretty good at putting together shows on the fly with a minimum of actual, you know, rehearsal. Chaos was part of the deal, of course, but as long as everyone - regardless of skill level - paid attention and tried to bring their A game, confidence was high. Fortunately, the band had a decent repertoire that included numerous musical styles to draw upon. And, being a high-class outfit, we had actual charts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">In addition to concerts, weddings, etc., The DVO served as the house band for all sorts of late-night, ad-hoc, off-the-wall, and other hyphenated affairs. For example, a few years back, we were booked to be house band for a Vaudeville Extravaganza at an annual summer gathering of mostly Southern artists. Naturally we recruited guest musicians and did very well, landing two fine percussionists and a ukulelist. We also scored an excellent young violinist. And thus, to the point, arrived we have. But first...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">[<b>Gender Adjacent Sidebar</b> - When you build a career (even one as strange as mine) in music and theatre, you are 99 and 44/100% sure to find yourself collaborating and becoming friends with Gay people. I am a better musician and person for this and most grateful.]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Turns out, the very nice and talented musician now sitting in the 2<sup>nd</sup> violin chair was a woman transitioning to be a man. He was dressed as a man and used masculine pronouns, but when I referred to him, I instinctively said “she” and “her.” Of course, I believe that all people are entitled to determine their own form of address and corrected myself immediately.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">It was a slightly embarrassing process, but this was my first experience working with a transgender person and I knew, as bandleader, I had an added responsibility to get it right. Which I did. It took a little time before I got there (he was very understanding), but everything came together splendidly. I enjoyed our collaboration and hope he’s doing well in his journey.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I recall this as I ponder the ceaseless attempts of right-wing extremists, hypocritically claiming the cloak of Christianity, to demonize groups they think we should all hate. Pushback from uppity women, Black folks, and Gay people being fierce, they’ve lately turned their attentions to the much less influential Trans community. The results of this “volatile experiment in turning grievances into governance” have been acutely vicious, cruel, and idiotic.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">[<b>Drag Queen Sidebar</b> - Banning drag shows? Are you kidding me? Drag has been enormously popular since antiquity when women were not even allowed to be actors. (Shakespeare was performed solely by men until 1670.) Not to mention Vaudeville (e.g., Julian Eltinge, Bert Savoy, Vesta Tilley) and TV (e.g., Milton Berle, Monty Python, Barry Humphries, RuPaul).]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">So, craven politicians continue to (a) build their brands and (b) raise piles of money by lobbing vengeance like red meat to their most fearful supporters. But transgender people struggling with life-defining issues should not be subject to your or my approval. It is not about us; it is none of our goddamed business. I submit that it would be more Christian to show some empathy and try to make people’s lives less difficult. And if that’s just too much of a cross to bear, well, in the words of the song:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">“Lord, if you won't take care of us, won't you please, please let us be?" Amen.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Rodger<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-70506015495429486992023-02-10T13:42:00.000-08:002023-02-10T13:42:05.477-08:00Felicitations From Fairhope #17<p> <b style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Felicitations From Fairhope #17</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">10 February 2023<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">February has a particular significance for me, one that does not necessarily involve prognosticating rodents. On 02 February 1972, I was discharged, honorably and six days early, from the U.S. Navy. I can objectively report that I (a) enjoyed being a sailor at sea, (b) detested military chickenshit, and (c) felt my hitch elapse like an eternity. But now, at an age where I may regard the passage of time in years, decades, and even generations... nah, it was still a long four years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">[<b>Military Etymological Sidebar </b>- “Chickenshit:” WWII<span class="apple-converted-space"> troop </span>slang for military bureaucratic regulations so silly and trifling that they don't measure up to the level of bullshit.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Periodically, I found myself with a lot of free time. Since I’ve never been much of a boozer or tattoo aficionado - and one can spend only so much time in a gym - I gravitated to the library, where I could indulge in binge-reading, mostly biographies and science fiction. But I also took the opportunity to educate myself regarding more serious matters, foremost of which was Black History. This was a very big deal for me, given my background.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>1962-65 </b>- Growing up in Kentucky, I went to an integrated high school (Class of ‘65) and, as a student manager for the basketball and track teams, had regular interactions with Black guys. What I didn’t have, of course, was the education necessary to comprehend the true history, complexity, and legacy of “Race” in the United States. But the Civil Rights Movement was constantly in the news, and that helped provide a starting point for me to begin to learn.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>1966-67</b> - At the University of Kentucky, I was part of the “Marching 100” band: 98 Whites, 2 Blacks, and no women. (I am not making this up.) UK surely needed a reality check/attitude adjustment and received one in 1966 when the Wildcat basketball team, an all-White group coached by Adolph Rupp, a notorious racist, got their asses handed to them in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Finals by Texas Western University, which started a defiantly all-Black lineup. And as much as I wanted the Cats to win (I was drumming in the pep band, after all), it was clear to me that this was a historically seismic event.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>1968</b> - I reported to Navy boot camp at Great Lakes, IL in February 1968. Recruit Company 103 was integrated, although (like the Navy itself) largely White. We all got along alright, just trying to get through basic training in the butt-freezing cold. But on 04 April 1968, Dr. King was assassinated, Chicago was declared off-limits, and shit got very real. There was an incident within our Company that could have easily turned very ugly, had cooler heads not prevailed. It felt - again, still - like we were due a reckoning.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">My self-education in Black History (and subsequently, Critical Race Theory) began in 1968 in the Naval Station Newport library with <i>The Autobiography of Malcolm X,</i> followed in short order (from a variety of sources) by <i>Invisible Man, The Souls of Black Folks, Native Son, From Slavery to Freedom, The Wretched of the Earth, The Fire Next Time, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, The Peculiar Institution, The Negro in the South, Blues People,</i> and basically any relevant book I could lay my hands on. The process was enlightening, embarrassing, and infuriating. It was also one of the wisest things I’ve ever done of my own volition.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">50+ years further on up the road, I have that same feeling when I read, among other books, <i>The 1619 Project</i>. And while it is currently fashionable to forbid the teaching in public schools of subjects that offend the tender fee fees of White supremacist snowflakes, I call bullshit. I deserved the truth in the 1960s and our kids deserve it now. They can handle it and shouldn’t have to ferret it out on their own. And, after all, February is also Black History Month.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Rodger<o:p></o:p></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-7139645150179112042023-01-28T13:09:00.000-08:002023-01-28T13:09:19.774-08:00Felicitations From Fairhope #16<p><b style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Felicitations From Fairhope #16</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">29 January 2023</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is hardly revelatory that the status of “retired” tends to enable, nay, mandate reflection on matters both profound (the qualities of love and friendship, apologies owed to those wronged, hard lessons learned) and frivolous (bucket lists, Top 10 lists, the list goes on). Recently, I have been ruminating on the motley assortment of jobs I’ve had in 75 years and... Ta-da! A list! Don’t panic, it’s brief:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Short Term</b> - Pest control flunky, grocery warehouse picker, costume shop and department store shipping & delivery, telephone solicitor (one horrible day, never went back)</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Military</b> - Navy Signalman (SM2): Visual communications supervisor, “Leader of Men”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Longish Term</b> - Artist model, residential carpenter, radio (Program Director, DJ, titular engineer), Arts Administrator, newsletter editor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Career</b> - Accordionist, drummer/percussionist, musical director/band leader, theatre/studio musician, juggler, Vaudevillian<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>State Department</b> - An assortment of jobs, some of them interesting, designated for Eligible Family Members able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">OK, now on to the actual point of all this.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">FWIW, I used to be a decent drummer. Never had chops to burn or a desire to solo, but I worked at it and developed a solid feel for “sitting in the pocket” (keeping good time), became adept at playing quietly (essential for theatre gigs), and learned how to read drum scores. I had several teachers - notably the great Peggy Benkeser - and earned an actual degree in music that included a minor in “Percussion Performance,” a fact I still cannot believe. Along the way, I became acceptably proficient in several styles, although not-so-much jazz. (I respect jazz drummers too much to ever consider passing myself off as one.) But my favorite style of drumming was, and still is, funk.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">By now, you may be wondering “WTF brought all this on?” Well, this December past, A.J. and I took a little trip to New Orleans to spend a few days with some old friends eating too well, watching a ridiculous amount of college football on TV, and celebrating New Year’s Eve. We had a great time. Each evening, a large assemblage of local brass and percussion players would congregate on a corner opposite our digs in Faubourg Marigny to play and pass the hat for a couple of hours. Straight-ahead brass band, second line parade music with that funky New Orleans shuffling rhythm I first heard as a kid listening (on a transistor radio, of course) to musicians including Fats Domino, Ernie K-Doe, Barbara George, and Little Richard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a rhythm foundational to an incalculable amount of great music. It makes you glad you came to the party and compels you to move your ass. And if you’re fortunate enough to be a somewhat skilled drummer who has been paying attention, playing it connects you to a boatload of musical and cultural history. And, at no extra charge, briefly exalts you to the status of “too cool for the room.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">[<b>Essential Commerce Sidebar </b>- I returned from our trip not only with a renewed appreciation for New Orleans music, but also three books on the subject from Frenchmen Art & Books and a double CD anthology found at Louisiana Music Factory.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My trusty Ludwig 14” chrome snare drum and stick bag are still in the closet. Might be time for another list.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rodger</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-64671012017192137042022-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:002022-05-20T10:53:06.265-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #15<p> <b style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="ES">Felicitations From Fairhope #15</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span lang="ES">20 May 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span lang="ES"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span lang="ES">Photo Update Links</span></b><span lang="ES">: </span><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/wziLa6sUGGBW3fmt8" style="color: purple;"><span lang="ES" style="color: #0070c0;">Madrid/Toledo</span></a><span lang="ES" style="color: #0070c0;">, </span><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/ttvxHaq9TtHb2SneA" style="color: purple;"><span lang="ES" style="color: #0070c0;">La Alhambra</span></a><span lang="ES" style="color: #0070c0;">, </span><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/Cj1YHALQQivZeWh1A" style="color: purple;"><span lang="ES" style="color: #0070c0;">Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba</span></a><span lang="ES" style="color: #0070c0;">, </span><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/8FYPoagnStEPLwtp7" style="color: purple;"><span lang="ES" style="color: #0070c0;">Granada/Córdoba/Sevilla</span></a><span lang="ES"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span lang="ES"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Anne and I just returned from a two-week trip to Spain – our first overseas excursion since decamping from Italy to Alabama in early 2020. She had spent time in Barcelona and Valencia as part of her gig at State, but I had never been. Well, OK… in 1972 I spent a lovely week at the Base Naval de Rota awaiting my discharge from the USN, but that Does. Not. Count.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Designed, nay, artfully crafted by A.J., our tour took us south: Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Córdoba, and Sevilla. We took in the sights, mostly parks, museums, and places steeped in Abrahamic religiosity. We dived into the tapas culture, but never ate dinner at 10pm. We walked our asses off, yet became comfortable with trains, subways, and buses. We spoke as much español as we could muster, much to the amusement of the locals.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">We had a great time. Cue the highlight reel:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>MADRID<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Museo Nacional del Prado</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> – One of the world’s great art museums, featuring works by Diego Velázquez, El Greco, y Francisco de Goya. Oh yes, and “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch, a triptych that is even more strange, disturbing, and full of wonder than expected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> – Featuring a significant collection of modern art, notably works by Joan Miró, Salvador Dali, and Juan Gris. And Pablo Picasso, of course, including “Guernica,” which is even more startling, disturbing, and overwhelming than expected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Museo Sorolla</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> – This lovely museum resides in a mansion that was the home and workshop of the artist <span style="color: #4d5156;">Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida and his family, most notably his beautiful and formidable wife Clotilde García del Castillo. It is a jewel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">Parque de El Retiro</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"> - A beautiful park in the center of Madrid near El Prado, it was full of people, but never felt too crowded, and offered a pleasant respite from walking the city streets. And, accordion players are to be found there. Always a plus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">TOLEDO</span></b><b><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">A short train ride from Madrid, Toledo is rugged, ancient, and famous for steel cutting implements and El Greco. The city has been ruled by Romans, Visigoths, Moors (who tolerated a sizable Jewish population, and Christians (who ultimately did not). Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and noted architectural vandal (more on that later) also took up periodic residence there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">[<b>Worst Spanish Monarchs EVER Sidebar</b>] No contest: Isabell I de Castilla y Ferdinando II de Aragón. 1478: Launched the Spanish Inquisition. 1492: Expelled the Jews from Spain. Also, enabled Cristoforo Colombo to begin his voyages of conquest and plunder. 1502: Ordered the forced conversion of all Muslims to Christianity. That is a lot to answer for.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Toledo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was predictably overrun with touristas. But, whaddaya gonna do… we walked up and down the steep and ancient streets, looking for shade, food (which was very good), and photo ops. We decided to bypass </span><span style="color: #202122;">La <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Catedral Primada de Santa María de Toledo, a gothic magnum opus festooned with stolen gold, in favor of the Sephardic Museum, a small place dedicated to the Jewish cultural heritage in Spain. All in all, a nice daytrip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #202122; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #202122; padding: 0in;">GRANADA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #202122; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; padding: 0in;">La Alhambra</span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; padding: 0in;"> - Another UNESCO etc., etc., and the most popular tourist attraction in Spain, it “</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">was begu</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">n in 1238 by<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: windowtext;">Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">, the first<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: windowtext;">Nasrid</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">emir and founder of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: windowtext;">Emirate of Granada</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">, the last Muslim state of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: windowtext;">Al-Andalus</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">.” It is a collection of fortresses, palaces, and gardens that really deserves to be seen. Interestingly, in 1526 Charles V decided that what the place really needed was a Renaissance-style palace for… what? Contrast? So, construction was begun, but - thankfully - never fully completed.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: windowtext;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h2 style="break-after: avoid; color: #365f91; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0in 30pt 0.0001pt 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[<b>Fine Dining Sidebar</b>] The best food of the trip was, for me at least, to be had at </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Restaurante Ruta del Azafrán<span class="apple-converted-space"> (Saffron Road), located next to a small park with killer views of La Alhambra. The menu was imaginative (really, what miracles one can perform with anchovies) and the prices reasonable. And, being accomplished Gringos, we were first in line when the doors opened at 20:00.]<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>CÓRDOBA</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">We trained to Sevilla to set up camp in a really nice hotel (¡Muchas gracias, Anna!) and took off the next day for Córdoba to see the <span style="color: #202122;">Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, yet another UNES… you know the drill. This remarkable building consists of (a) an enormous mosque begun </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">in 785<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era" style="color: purple;" title="Common Era"><span style="color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">CE</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">, when Córdoba was the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>capital<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">of the Muslim-controlled region of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Al-Andalus<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">, and (b) an enormous Catholic cathedral superimposed on it beginning in 1523 with the express permission of… wait for it… Charles V. Who, to his credit, came to regret it. The result is more than a little schizophrenic, but amazing. Please check out the photoz.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">[<b>Possible Religious Experience Sidebar</b> - The capilla mayor (main chapel) of the church is plopped smack in the middle of the former mosque’s prayer hall and includes a “symphonic organ” with 3500 pipes, más o menos. We sat down in the Gospel nave to rest our feet, with the organ surrounding us on two sides. An unassuming hombre wearing a mask (the Spaniards being quite serious about this Covid shit) quietly sat down at the console and started to play.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">I am not a religious person, but I do revere the power of music. The piece, which I did not recognize, lasted maybe three minutes, during which time I was completely overwhelmed and brought to tears. It was one of the finest musical moments of my life and I am grateful for it.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">SEVILLA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #202122;">Catedral de Santa María de la Sede</span></b><span style="color: #202122;"> - THE largest Gothic cathedral in the world. (But is it a UNESCO thingy? Why, yes. Yes, it is.) And it is really big: 15 doors and 80 chapels big. And the bell tower, which has become a symbol of the city, is a converted minaret. Not unlike the cathedral bell tower in Córdoba.</span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Museo Bellas Artes de Sevilla</b> - Housed in a confiscated convent building, this museum’s collection originally consisted of works from confiscated convents and monasteries. So, a lot of religious art, mostly from the Sevillian Baroque. A.J. and I both particularly liked the work of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, whose religious-themed painting sometimes seems a tad less ecclesiastical, more human, and more accessible. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">Centro Cerámica Triana</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"> - Located in the Triana barrio across the </span>Río Guadalquivir (the only navigable river in the country, by the way), this charming former tile factory, offers displays and explanations in Spanish and English concerning the history and process of ceramic tile manufacturing in Sevilla. Me, I just love the stuff, but I’m gonna need a bigger suitcase.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Before we took the train back to Madrid (and an airport hotel and a Covid test and a long flight home), we managed to get in a bit of light shopping and a final run at the tapas thing. We finally got it right at a local place recommended by our ever-helpful hotel staff. We ordered a bunch of fried items, all of which were perfect. In fact, the fried anchovies were so good that even Anne enjoyed them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Finalmente, I would be remiss in not acknowledging how friendly and helpful the Spaniards were to us. In Myanmar, we saw signs reading: “Warmly welcome and take care of tourists.” Good advice anywhere, I think. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span lang="ES">Gracias españoles. Estamos muy agradecidos.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span lang="ES"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #202124; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Rodger<o:p></o:p></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-37805622692598815412022-01-20T11:47:00.003-08:002022-01-20T11:47:48.854-08:00Felicitations From Fairhope #14<p> <b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Felicitations From Fairhope #14</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">20 January 2022<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">It’s been a strange three months since the last posting, that being about our wonderful trip to New England. Since then, Anne and I have traveled exactly nowhere further than Mobile. Like most oldish folks who are vaxxed, boosted and have a lick of sense, we decided to stay out of airports and off the roads during the Holidaze, especially with The Omicron running amok and roughly 1/3 of the country (so many assholes) still refusing to get jabbed. So, we opted for quiet and safety, thank you very much.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">There was, however… one small problem. File this under “No good deed goes unpunished.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, while setting up our Christmas tree (and a splendid one at that), I suffered a herniated disc in my back. This set off a cycle of pain, visits to doctors, pain, tests, pain, drugs, somewhat less pain, and – six long weeks later – surgery. Which went well, I am told. I weaned myself off the pain meds after four days and have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon in a couple of weeks, and then rehab.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">The worst part of all this mess is that I cannot sit for long periods nor lift anything heavy, such as an accordion. It’s been weeks since I’ve practiced and it’s making me a bit crazy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">But I do realize my good fortune. A.J. is looking after me, my insurance has me covered, and we’re just taking it day-to-day, poco a poco. We have a couple of small trips scheduled in February (FL) and April (the ATL). Who knows, maybe we’ll even get in a really big trip later this year, Covid willing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">[<b>Convalescence Amusement Sidebar </b>– While necessarily spending mucho tiempo in a more-or-less prone position, I have had the opportunity to read more books than usual. FWIW…]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><i>Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards – Memoirs of A Rock ‘N’ Roll Survivor</i></b><i> </i>(Al Kooper). Enormously entertaining reflections from a great musician and one of my personal faves.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i> </i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><i>Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher - The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis</i></b><i> </i>(Timothy Egan). Fascinating and appalling American history about one man’s obsession to photograph vanishing indigenous culture.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><i>Taste - My Life Through Food</i></b> (Stanley Tucci). A charming, delicious, and surprisingly poignant book by one of my favorite actors. The guy’s a real mensch, too.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><i>The 1619 Project – A New Origin Story</i></b><i> </i>(Created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and <i>The New York Times Magazine</i>). Excellent. Every high school student in the United States, especially the White ones, should read this. I wish I could have.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><i>Tango Masters – Anibal Trolio</i></b> (Michael Lavocah). A deep dive into the musical history, including analysis of recordings, of Argentina’s most revered bandoneonista.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">[<b>Warning: Rant Alert Sidebar </b>– Apologies in advance]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I also watch more TV than I should, and I find my patience wearing a bit thin with news programs. Never mind FOX and the other vandals on the right. Nine months out, it seems that the “mainstream” media election year narrative has been set:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">President Biden is answerable for… well, everything that has gone wrong: Covid, inflation, supply shortages, you name it. The congressional GOP, which has zero inclination to govern, gets a pass. This leaves Biden and the Dems totally responsible for solving these problems - which they must do in a “bipartisan” fashion, by the way - or face certain Armageddon in November.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">And that would be just fine, since it would generate truckloads of money and support their ongoing business model based on lazy, irresponsible, but “savvy” journalism.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">All of this is as predictable as it is depressing. But we know how to thwart the template: Work hard, spend the money, and get out the vote in numbers too big to ignore or falsify. As per frickin’ usual. End of rant.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Finally, in local news, construction has begun of a new house on our south side. Weather permitting, the jobsite is occupied by a very good Mexican (American) framing crew. I don’t mean to stereotype, but estos hombres (a) look Mexican, (b) speak Spanish, and (c) play Mexican music while working. The good stuff, too, con mucho acordeon. Sometimes I’ll find a reason to putter around the front yard just to listen.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">As always, thanks for being there. Be well, stay safe, and let’s get ready to rumble.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Rodger</p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-70789473325183966172021-10-22T06:19:00.001-07:002021-10-22T06:19:44.432-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #13<p> <b style="font-family: Verdana;">Felicitations From Fairhope #13</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">22 October 2021<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>Google Photo Update<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNsuU6WUmUDf4JBg_Sg5Ofc34GiXT3k8urcUgwfdQ8MSW0oFhKSM6zX1-Tp08zzXg?key=ZzZJc3FBa295UW41NkdpbVpPUHlSUHFjOVVUUlNR" style="color: purple;">“The State of Maine”</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">… continued from #12<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>The State of Maine</b> - Taking an Amtrak/bus combo from Boston to Portland, we were picked up by my friend Michael (clown, of course), to spend two nights with he and his wife Judy, a theatre set designer and another old chum. But first…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Car Rental Sidebar</b> - “Would you like an upgrade to… well, a Planetoid-class SUV? True, it’s too wide, it’s too high, and you can watch the gas gauge drop while you drive. But it’s wicked commodious and, with a V-8 engine, perfect for stately touring.” I took it. I make no apologies. And, for the record, we own a Subaru, the “official car” of the State of Maine.]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">We liked Portland and had a great time with Judy & Michael, just hanging out with pizza and the Red Sox on TV, eating insanely expensive lobster rolls, checking out local lighthouses, and generally catching up. Michael and I discussed using some of my recordings for his work and Judy gave A.J. a book about John Singer Sargent that belonged to her late mother, a fine painter. They are welcoming, talented folks and we hope to see them in Fairhope one day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">From Portland, we drove up the coast to Boothbay Harbor for lunch and then on to Camden, a very picturesque little town. Our B&B was fancy and convenient, and the food excellent. The room, regrettably, was small, the bed a giant marshmallow, and the church bells across the street rang on the hour… all damned night.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">But we were up and/or at ‘em the next morning for a beautiful autumn drive, first to Belfast (lunch, natch), then on to SW Harbor, located on the rockbound coast near, and sometimes in, Acadia National Park. Anne booked three nights in a place built in 1755 as a family home that has since metastasized to offer numerous acceptable rooms with fabulous water views.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">We drove to Bar Harbor (“bah hah-bah”), a hugely popular tourist destination. It was a splendid day and we arrived early enough to get a decent parking space. After lunch, we cruised to Acadia National Park, which, by the time we arrived, resembled an anthill. All the parking lots and scenic spots were completely overrun, but we had a fine time motoring around in the Planetoid, enjoying the scenery. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The following day, we boarded a Sea Princess Nature Cruise in NE Harbor. It was quite chilly, and we gladly wore all the layers of clothing we brought with us. Yay! We saw loons, sea gulls, a bald eagle, and harbor seals. The cruise docked at Little Cranberry Island, a lobster-fishing village (pop. 70), and then concluded with a trip up Somes Sound Fjord, where the ospreys - victims of DDT in the 50s-60s - are once again building their nests on the cliffs. A good day on the Gulf of Maine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Tree Hugging Sidebar</b> - A knowledgeable Park Ranger narrated the tour, and did not fail to emphasize the historical environmental degradation visited upon Maine by clueless White people; e.g., recklessly overfishing cod stocks, then ignorantly blaming the seals and wantonly decimating their populations (which did not help). Currently, global warming is forcing lobsters to migrate north and the lobster industry, valued at $500 million a year, is in big trouble.]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Our final overnight Maine destination was Bath, a town we really liked. Located on the Kennebec River, it remains one of the most important shipbuilding centers in the USA. Our B&B was entirely satisfactory: good room, good bed, and wicked good breakfast. We spent the morning at the outstanding Maine Maritime Museum. Bath’s shipbuilding history encompasses vessels both sail (schooners) and mechanized (destroyers) and thousands of people still work in the yards. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Then it was off to our final stop in Maine: Gardiner, and a visit with Denise. I met Denise and her late (and <u>much</u> lamented) husband Benny at a clown workshop in 1980. Over the course of the next decade, we spent a lot of time together, and it’s fair to say that most of what I know about organizing Vaudeville shows I learned from studying and performing with them. Right place, right time… I was lucky. We arranged to meet at the local diner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Local Diner Sidebar</b> - Three of Maine’s finest:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">- Becky’s Diner, Portland (broiled scallops with garlic and bacon)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">- Moody’s Diner, Waldoboro (haddock Ruben with local sauerkraut)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">- A1 Diner, Gardiner (haddock fish tacos)]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As for Denise, what a treat to see a dear friend doing so well. She and Anne hit it off right away and we had a great lunch. Afterwards, we walked to Johnson Hall, the oldest opera house in Maine. This historic place, which Denise & Benny were involved with for decades, is undergoing a $5.5 million renovation (donations graciously accepted) and it’s going to be magnificent. Finally, we dropped by her charming apartment, yakked away until sunset, and left her with an invitation to come to Fairhope and eat her weight in shrimp.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The following day, back to Portland to surrender the Planetoid, take a bus to Logan Airport, and check into a swanky hotel on the eastern shore of Boston Harbor. We spent our last night in New England with a panoramic view stretching from the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown to the South Boston Naval Annex. A classic, excuse me, wicked classic ending to a most memorable trip.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Spend the money, see the sights. And visit your friends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Rodger<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b> </b></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-53696356470768597322021-10-20T10:34:00.004-07:002021-10-20T10:35:33.069-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #12<p><b style="font-family: Verdana;">Felicitations From Fairhope #12</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">21 October 2021<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Before I begin this account of our recent trip to New England - specifically Boston and the State of Maine - please indulge me in a short, but brief, backstory.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I lived in Boston in 1970-71 while in the Navy. My ship (U.S.S. Mississinewa, A0-144) was homeported in Newport, RI and every single day it was actually there, I carpooled 140 miles round trip with three other sailors. Ridiculous? Ayuh, but Boston was a boatload more interesting than Newport. The ship, however, was also constantly undergoing repairs at the South Boston Naval Annex, making for a significantly shorter commute. The point is, it’d been 50 years since I lived in Boston.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Anne, who has travelled the world, had never been to Boston. This could not stand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">A few years later, having learned to juggle pretty well, I fell in with a motley crowd: Vaudeville performers, many of who lived and worked in Maine. So I ended up spending a lot of time there (often with LaBanana, my juggling partner) studying and learning more about “New Vaudeville” and playing my accordion for anyone who might listen. My last trip was with the Ben & Jerry’s Road Show in 1991. So… it’d been 30 years since I’d been to Maine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Anne, who has travelled to all the continents except Antarctica, had never been to the State of Maine. This. Could. Not. Stand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Travel Advisory Sidebar</b> - U.S. airports are still overcrowded, security-crazed hellholes and mandatory masking (which I firmly believe in) is nonetheless a massive pain-in-the-face. Business Class (Thank you, A.J.!) is the only way to survive.]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Alright, enough background. On to the highlight reel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>Boston</b> - We spent four nights in a hotel near Boston Garden, in a slightly dodgy neighborhood convenient to the “T” (subway) and home to roughly a zillion sports bars. Boston is the sports bar capital of the universe and, since there are literally dozens of colleges/universities in the city, bars (and the T) teem with “yout.” Boston is still a wicked cool city for young people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Tourist Emergency Sidebar</b> - On our FIRST MORNING, I awoke in severe pain. I’d been down this road before: kidney stone. Fortunately, Mass General was nearby, so we taxied to the Emergency Room, checked in, ran some blood work, and while I was collecting a urine sample… behold! The little boulder fell into the cup and I was OK. In and out in two hours, could have been worse, let us speak of it no more.]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Anne had a list ready: Boston Common and Public Garden (with busking Italian accordionist), the Museum of Fine Arts (replete with familiar portraits of our slave-holding Founding Fathers), the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (featuring a surreal courtyard worth the price of admission), and the Boston Public Library (housing “Triumph of Religion,” a mural by John Singer Sargent that is simply astounding). We also made a pilgrimage to Harvard Square for Sunday brunch (the best Eggs Benedict ever) and a stop at the Harvard Coop, the country’s oldest collegiate bookstore.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Nostalgic Sidebar</b> - When I lived in Boston, several of we young Navy types would, on occasion, ingest thoroughly illegal substances and take the T to the Coop, the ground floor of which was then a wonderland of vinyl LPs. Bliss ensued.]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">We also caught up with friends. One night, we took a commuter train to Middleboro, MA, where we met with Fred & Sylvia. (Fred and I were stationed on the Mississinewa, working in the signal gang.) They took us to a fine, local family-owned Italian restaurant, and then to their wonderful, music stuff-filled home. Both of them are classical musicians and quite lovely people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">On our last night in Boston, my old pal Kenny (a mensch and actual famous clown) graciously drove in from the ‘burbs, picked us up, and schlepped us around town. I had not seen the city since “The Big Dig” and many of the roads I remembered had simply disappeared underground. (At a cost of over $24 billion, sure; but such an improvement.) We had dinner at a pleasant Afghan restaurant in Cambridge and then meandered around looking for ice cream, which we found. Parking, however, we found not (just like 1971), so it was back to the hotel to exchange big hugs and get ready to head onward to Maine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">To be continued…<o:p></o:p></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-76741007733223238182021-08-01T11:33:00.003-07:002021-08-01T11:33:41.361-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #11<p><b style="font-family: Verdana;">Felicitations From Fairhope #11</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">02 August 2021<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">OK, I know it’s been eight months since the last posting, but as Stephen King observed, <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #3a3a3a;">“Time takes it all whether you want it to or not, time takes it all.” If that seems a bit on the fatalistic side, then perhaps </span>a little Kurt Vonnegut is in order: "I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different." In any case, ciao.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">A.J. and I are hunkered down in our home here in Fairhope, AL, laying low during the typically heinous summer heat while keeping a wary eye on predictive hurricane weather patterns. We’ve been very lucky so far. Heat and humidity can be worrisome, but are not normally in the same ballpark as hurricanes… or drought and wildfires.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">And we are planning a trip to New England (Yay!), which Anne has never visited. The idea of enduring several U.S. airports is less than appealing, but driving 1239 miles to Boston just to begin the trip is simply not an option. An other time, perhaps...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Our biggest travel concern is The Covid Delta variant, of course, although we are fully vaccinated and down with getting booster shots as soon as they become available. Since the airlines are all up in it when it comes to safety protocols, we feel pretty confident about our chances, and while we have no love for masking, it’s still a reasonable precaution and not really a BFD. However…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The state of Alabama vaccination rate is 34%, the lowest in the nation. (It’s so bad that Mississippi has a new official motto: “Thank God for Alabama.”) So far we haven’t personally experienced any grief from anti-vaccine folks, but that sentiment is definitely to be reckoned with. And it really pisses me off.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Those of us who are vaccinated have made it possible for this country to begin returning to a semblance of normalcy. Reasonable medical exemptions are one thing, but it is frustrating beyond measure that so many people seem intent on fucking it all up, whether in the name of “personal freedom,” “owning the Libs,” or “precious bodily fluids.” For my part, I am out of patience and running regrettably low on sympathy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">But we are fortunate and healthy, so we carry on, avoid large crowds, and try to keep in touch. So should we all, I think. It’s been a really tough 18 months and the end is still not in sight. And while some may disagree, I believe that the simple truth of our struggle against this pandemic is: “Nobody wins unless everybody wins.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Stay strong, stay kind, stay alive.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Rodger<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b> </b></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-10306465141716761092020-11-25T07:27:00.004-08:002020-11-25T07:27:44.551-08:00Felicitations From Fairhope #10<p><b style="font-family: Verdana;">Felicitations From Fairhope #10</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">25 November 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">You know those “end of the year” emails we all get from time to time, the ones that summarize the entire year and chronicle - in great detail - what the kids are up to? Sure you do, and I want it known that I value receiving them since it indicates that somebody out there has enough regard to think that I might actually read them. Which, of course, I do.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">But 2020 has been an absolute shitshow and, until January 20, 2021, President Trump (loser of not one, but two nationwide popular votes) will continue wiping his blood-stained hands on the White House curtains, hosting “Super Spreader” holiday events, and issuing pardons like a fat, orange Pez dispenser. So I figured I’d get a jump on things in hopes of bending the time continuum ever-so-slightly in the direction of better days to come. Because, why not.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>A Short, but Brief Recap of 2020 Highlights.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>February</b> - Left Roma early to come to the ATL to begin work on “Indecent,” a wonderful beast of a show and a dream gig, at The Theatrical Outfit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>March</b> - Opened the play to rave reviews just as the Covid nightmare was starting to sow the seeds of panic. After one week, we had to shut the show down and I still haven’t gotten over it. However, the day after we closed, I packed up the Subaru and hauled ass to Fairhope, AL to get back to A.J., who, retiring from her State Department gig, had managed to get on one of the last flights out before the Italians shut down their country.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Viral Background Sidebar</b> - The Trump and The Covid: Twin pandemics in an awful year; the perfect combination of clueless egotism and relentless nature.]<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>April</b> - Moved into our new old house, where three truckloads of our stuff from three different locations finally caught up with us. The next few months were spent doing household things. You all know the drill. So, on to…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>September</b> - Hurricane Sally made landfall smack on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay with high wind and torrential rain, taking 36 interminable hours to mosey through. We lucked out on any significant damage, but power was down for a week and there are still large residual piles of trees and other debris almost three months later. But wait…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>October</b> - Hurricane Zeta made landfall smack on the western shore of Mobile Bay. We were spared the worst of it, but communities in Mobile and points north were not so fortunate. Many folks who had barely recovered from Sally were hammered again and the storm surge wiped out a boatload of docks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>November</b> - The Biden/Harris ticket won the Presidency by over six million popular votes, with a margin of 74 in the Electoral College, thanks to (mostly Black) voters in Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and other actual, you know, American cities. Cheeto Benito can sulk, bitch, piss, and moan all he wants, but he is now officially: A Loser.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Sadly, the good citizens of Alabama will be represented in the U.S. Senate by Tommy Tuberville (R-Meathead), a failed football coach, career grifter, and ambulatory pork rind. (But if Doug Jones gets a position in the Biden Cabinet? That would be very cool.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">[<b>Final Political Sidebar</b> - There’s a Georgia Senate Runoff election on Jan. 5, 2021 and if both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win, Democrats will control the U.S. Senate and Mitch McConnell (R-Satan’s Spawn) can kindly go piss up a rope. So if you’re eligible to vote in Georgia, do it. If you live somewhere else (for instance, oh, Alabama), send money. And, if you’re a Republican, try reaching out to the other side of the aisle. We’ll wait.]<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">And… that’s a wrap. Probably. Thanks again, and I wish each of you (you know who you are and if you don’t, please ask someone) Happy Holidaze and a Healthy Cold, Flu & Pandemic Season. Let’s hope that this time next year finds us looking back and laughing, with inoculated chagrin, at the depths of American dumbassery. Here’s to 2021, and don’t forget your mask.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Stay strong, stay kind, stay alive.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Rodger</p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-19664881585506825452020-09-03T09:42:00.002-07:002020-09-03T09:42:26.879-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #09<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Felicitations From Fairhope #09</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">03 September 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Old habits die hard, so the urge to check in must be acknowledged from time to time. Not that there’s any special news to report on our part. We’re still laying low, working on the house, and trying our best to ride out the twin horrors of Trump and Covid-19. But the prospect of the upcoming election doesn’t make that any easier.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Perversely, that isn’t a real issue here. There is absolutely no chance that Biden will carry Alabama, although incumbent Senator Doug Jones (D-Decent Human Being) does have a shot, albeit a long one, at retaining his seat. His opponent is a former Auburn football coach whose entire platform consists of “I will always have President Trump’s back.” Great… another reactionary White man who has attached himself to Trump’s pasty ass like a remora in heat. Naturally, he opposes common sense pandemic measures such as wearing facemasks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But lest you think there’s no hope (and really, why wouldn’t you), it turns out that Alabama’s Governor Kay Ivey (R-Not Insane) is actually a fan of science and has extended her mandatory facemask order for another month. I theorize that this is because she is 75 years old and a grandmother and would like not to die.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Speaking of which, the summer reaches its cultural apex on Labor Day and it’s a safe bet that many Lower Alabamians will be taking stupid risks in a desperate bid for “normalcy.” Gulf Coast beaches are especially prone to boneheaded pandemic enhancing behavior and should be assiduously avoided during holiday weekends. We plan to stay at home and do… stuff. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For example… after a long hiatus, I have resumed practicing the accordion. I was just too depressed and unmotivated for a long while, but the benefits of practice are too great to be ignored forever, so I’m at it several times a week. Good for the brain, good for the hands, and good just in case I ever get the call to play in public again. Could happen… it can’t hurt to be ready.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stay strong, stay kind, stay alive. And get your voting act together.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rodger</span></p>Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-3907600323006167052020-07-14T12:15:00.001-07:002020-07-14T12:15:17.163-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #08<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Felicitations From Fairhope #08</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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14 July 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the more stressful effects of “The Trump Flu” is, for me, the necessity of social avoidance. I freely admit that my days as a party animal (“animale da festa” in Italian - so much classier) are further away than they seem in my rear view mirror. And, as much as I like to travel, the notion of getting on an airplane for any reason is simply a non-starter right now. Also, I find Zoom intensely tedious, but that’s just me doing me. So it’s emails, phone calls, and - once in a while - daring road trips that keep me in touch with family and friends. Which is why you’re getting this. Anyone who hasn’t already consigned these postings to their Spam folder deserves to be kept in the loop.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A loop largely closed, at the moment. Summer has come to Fairhope and the heat index, as expected, is well over 100° F every day, with no relief in sight. Fortunately, the need for the heavy lifting necessary during our move has abated and we are in the most fortunate position of being able to enjoy our very nice and appropriately air-conditioned house, venturing out now and again to forage for food and hardware, all the while being good citizens doing the mask wearing/social-distancing/hand washing thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We also have decent, if not extraordinary TV. But, as you may have heard, it’s an election year, which, in Alabama, means relentless ads from alarmingly White GOP candidates, each trying to outdo the others in pronouncements of fealty to our moronic President and his cult of stupidity and death. Again, totally expected, but still… so goddamed… lame. Makes me want to jump up and finally order that “Race Traitor” t-shirt I’ve had my eye on. Politically, the only good news here is that incumbent Senator Doug Jones (D-Sane), while still an underdog, might actually have a shot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Otherwise, we are doing well and remark pretty much every single day on how lucky we are to be (a) retired and (b) in good health, and have (c) decent insurance and (d) no kids. Now, if we can just vote in a government that is (e) competent and (f) gives an actual fuck…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stay strong, stay kind, stay alive. And stay in touch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Onward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rodger<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-68716165879632463172020-05-07T12:43:00.000-07:002020-05-07T12:43:26.228-07:00Reflections From Roma #07<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Felicitations From Fairhope #07</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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07 May 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We’re another month into The Trump Virus and I thought I’d check in. A.J. and I are doing well. Baldwin County, Alabama is relatively unscathed and folks here are pretty considerate about “social distancing,” a term that I have come to detest almost as much as “at the end of the day” and “jaw dropping.” Anyway, we’ve been moving and sorting all our worldly goods, so our social life consists mainly of trips to (a) the grocery, (b) the gas station, and (c) Lowe’s Home Improvement, which is apparently where Lower Alabamians go now instead of church.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We count ourselves as fortunate indeed, since we have the ability to be safe and no choice but to stay busy. We have also caught an enormous break with the weather, as this spring has been just wonderful: Fine and dry days, cool nights, and - thank Dog - low humidity. It’s made the trauma of moving more bearable, and I think we’ve got a shot at being fully sorted out (including the guest room) before the inevitable heinous summer weather sets in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>Musical Sidebar</b> - I look forward to one day resuming practice on my beautiful red, Italian accordion, which perches gloriously in my studio/man cave, mocking my musical aspirations without mercy.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of… As you may remember, I left Roma early for the ATL in order to participate in a production of “Indecent” at The Theatrical Outfit. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to say something about the experience and this is as good a time as any. As the great Oscar Levant once remarked, that’s like “trying to create a concise nebula from a dispersed confusion.” Nevertheless...<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s fair to say that theatrical opportunities this meaningful are few and far between for accordionists, so it was an honor to be part of this one. “Indecent” is a terrific, demanding play (our director referred to it as “a beast”) that requires an absurd level of talent, sensitivity, and effort. Frankly, I’m still amazed that it all came together, but theatre magic really does work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Everyone - cast, crew, designers, administrators - brought their A game, with powerful and magnificent results. The cast became a tight, almost familial unit, delivering performances that were resonant with passion, heartache, humor, and joy. Coming to the theatre and performing onstage - as a member of this troupe telling this story - felt less like going to a gig and more akin to an act of devotion, such as attending church. Or, in this case, temple. We laughed a lot, we cried every night, and we made great theatre.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then, one week into the run, we cancelled. It was, of course, the responsible thing to do, and it broke our hearts. But what we created lives within us and all the people who came to see the show. And a lot of us are keeping in touch, and that will just have to do for now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>Administrative Mensch Sidebar</b> - Hats off to The Theatrical Outfit for honoring contracts in spite of having to close “Indecent” two weeks early and, in the process, losing a ton of money. Well done.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, in other news…<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have finally finished <b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1c1e21;">Happy To Be Here - Vol. 5: Reflections From Roma</span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1c1e21;">, the fifth and final collection of postings from my career as a State Dept. wingman and occasional employee. It is available on the evil <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0882HYHPX?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860" style="color: purple;">amazon.com</a> at a very reasonable price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1c1e21;">And finally…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #1c1e21;">I have just received a new shipment of <b>Loose Endz</b> CDs. If you do not have a copy and are interested, please contact me and we’ll make all appropriate arrangements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I guess that does it for now. Thanks, and keep staying alive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Onward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rodger<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-84755349325985049112020-04-05T08:38:00.002-07:002020-04-06T07:44:39.997-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #06<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Felicitations From Fairhope #06</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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06 April 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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[<b>Squaring the Circle Sidebar</b> - This series of postings - six in total - was completed before we were all engulfed by the advent of The Virus. Here is the final one…]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Six Postings on Five Continents (cont.)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><i>MUSICAL OPPORTUNITIES<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b>Accra</b> – Surprisingly good. Caught a major break when I became chummy with the French Ambassador, who invited me to his residence now and then to play with guest musicians, local and imported. I also led a community choir, performed for the President of Ghana, and made it on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGp4UYS0Xh0" style="color: purple;">YouTube</a> playing with Rachel Barton-Pine, a wonderful violinist.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> – Pretty dismal. Although Anne’s excellent boss did invite me to play at some of her excellent parties, which was very cool. I also put together a second solo CD and had some fun playing amplified accordion with other Embassy musicians in a pickup Blues band. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> – Somewhat frustrating, since double-dipping military musicians had a virtual lock on local accordion gigs. But I played a little jazz in coffee houses with friends and even had a couple of students. Also performed with the Washington Balalaika Orchestra, practicing diligently in order to develop some reasonable proficiency with Russian music.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> – Amazing. I had great support from folks in the Public Affairs Section at the Embassy, which gave me opportunities to perform, and even managed to produce a house concert on my own. I also had the pleasure of attending concerts by accordionists Chango Spasiuk and the incomparable Raúl Barboza. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But, most importantly, studying with the great bandoneonist, composer, and arranger Rodolfo Mederos caused me to begin to reinvent myself as a musician. And at Torquato Tasso, the best Tango listening room on the planet, I had the privilege of hearing Rodolfo with his trio and orquesta tipica on numerous occasions. It was glorious and it changed my life. (Maestro, nunca puedo agradecerle lo suficiente.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> – Unexpectedly satisfying. The Shang had a meeting room that residents could book, so I put together a couple of pretty successful house concerts. I also connected with some Burmese musicians through my work with the Orchestra for Myanmar, and even did an accordion workshop at the Gitameit Music Institute in Yangon. And I recorded my third solo album - consisting entirely of Tangos - in a Burmese recording studio.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Rome</b> – A disappointment. I concede that age and a lack of motivation on my part were factors, but there just didn’t seem to be any sort of meaningful musical outlet for me. (Although I did have a nice exchange with Alessandro, one of the guys in Facilities Maintenance, who is a terrific chromatic accordion player.) So, once again, I went to work on a new solo album, my fourth (and probably last), recorded in Verbania at the home of members of our famiglia italiana. It’s called “Loose Endz,” and it’s not bad. Not bad at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>AND THAT’S A WRAP<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We have been unbelievably fortunate to have led this life for the past 13.5 years. Thanks to all the wonderful local people we’ve met and worked with for their generous hospitality and gracious patience. We are inestimably indebted to them. We are also most grateful for the good friends we have made within the diplomatic community and hope to see them all again further on up the road.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, a shout-out and big love to Anne, without whom none of this would have been possible. It has been my singular honor to be her wingman on this journey and I am immensely proud of her and her many accomplishments. Taxpayer money wisely spent… well done, A.J.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We love you all madly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>Trump Virus Sidebar Update</b> - Yeah, I know. The Moron-in-Chief is not directly responsible for the creation of COVID-19, but since (a) his response to the pandemic has been, to be charitable, disastrously incompetent and (b) he revels in having shit named after himself, “The Trump Virus” it is. Sue me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anne and I are in Fairhope, trying to get our home renovations completed to the point where we can actually move in before the apocalypse engulfs the state of Alabama. With a bit of luck, we may actually pull it off. Meanwhile, we are healthy, washing our hands (like 80 times a day), and trying to stay in touch with our friends. I plan to keep posting as time permits and motivation persists.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I sincerely appreciate all of you faithful correspondents who have gone to the trouble of actually reading these things and, on many occasions, responding kindly to them. I am honored that you have chosen to keep me out of your Spam folder. Please be advised: You may not be rid of me yet.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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Onward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rodger</div>
Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-36567489310155646642020-04-02T07:57:00.000-07:002020-04-02T07:57:00.910-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #05<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Follow-up From Fairhope #05<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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02 April 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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[<b>Lowered Expectations Sidebar</b> - This series of postings - six in total - was completed before we were all engulfed by the advent of The Virus. We now live in a time when having competent elected officials deliver some actual leadership is literally a matter of life or death. I am not entirely sanguine about the possibilities, but your local results may vary…]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Six Postings on Five Continents (cont.)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><i>THE EMBASSY<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - When we first arrived, the Embassy was scattered in buildings all over Accra, making it complicated to get things done. But we eventually moved into a new facility on a standard “cookie cutter” compound, one designed/built in the wake of the embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Besides improving security, the new arrangement brought people together and resulted in a more cohesive Mission.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - The building is somewhat older, but decent enough, although parking was an issue, since all the Americans had cars out of necessity. The cafeteria was not very good, but fortunately Harrie’s Pancakes (featuring sweet <u>and</u> savory selections) was just across the street.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - N/A<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - The Embassy building in BsAs looks like an unprepossessing bunker, and is grievously overcrowded and not at all healthy. Fortunately, the Ambassador’s Residence in nearby Bosch Palace had excellent facilities for socializing and, for added <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">entertainment,</span> the park across the street was a haven for flocks of voluble parakeets<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - Housed in another standard compound, but one featuring great art, an outstanding local staff, and a terrific cafeteria. And, IMHO, the best Front Office (Ambassador and DCM) of all our assignments. A very good place to work.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - Tri-Mission Rome - encompassing the U.S. Embassy, Vatican Embassy, and United Nations Mission - is littered with ancient statuary and housed in several historic buildings that consume a city block of prime Roman real estate. Boatloads of people are constantly in and out of the place and it was difficult to establish any real communal spirit. But, shout out to the orientation office for helping new arrivals feel welcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>DoS EMPLOYMENT<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - (Community Liaison Officer) After months waiting to get my Top Secret security clearance (it didn’t help that my first set of fingerprints got misplaced), I actually began working. And, shortly after I started, the Embassy ceased being a scattered mess and relocated into a brand new facility, walking distance from our house. So, good gig.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - (HR Temp Pool) The job was eclectic (I fancied myself as being like a utility infielder) and often interesting, and I even received several commendations, one of them in cash. Not too shabby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - (N/A) Except for dropping A.J. off at work at “Main State” now and then, I avoided the State Department like the plague.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - (WAE Rover Secretary) Had to reapply for a TS clearance, which took months… again. Did the eclectic thing… again, and was awarded a couple of commendations… no complaints.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - (RSO Security Escort) In addition to the usual escorting of workers who lacked sufficient clearance for certain “secret squirrel” areas, I also assisted with day-to-day stuff in the Regional Security Office and helped out at the biometrics window in Consular. No awards this go-round, but RSO was a fun group (“Hawaiian Shirt Fridays,” anyone?). <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - (Facilities Security Escort) Good news: In 2016, DoS instituted a program enabling EFMs (Eligible Family members) to carry their security clearance from one post to the next, and about time, too. Bad news: In 2017, the Trump administration instituted an idiotic federal hiring freeze. When it was finally lifted, I applied for essentially the same job as the one I had previously held.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Imagine my surprise upon discovering that it came complete with a 40% pay cut. I went from banking actual savings to pocketing “walking around money.” But there was nothing to do except get on with it, so I became an underpaid member of a very good embassy facilities maintenance crew.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Bonus Professional Sidebar: Evaluating the Secretaries</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Condoleezza Rice</b> - She did support PEPFAR, the one truly worthwhile foreign policy initiative to come out of eight years of Cheney/Bush malfeasance. But Rice also presided over the elimination of Business Class tickets for diplomats flying over 14 hours to post. For which I will always hate her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Hillary Clinton</b> - True story: Secretary Clinton visited South Africa and I was assigned to assist her as a kid wrangler at an Embassy family event. She was a real pro and great with the children. I can also report that during the entire time we worked the room, she never once made actual eye contact with me. I found that somewhat… disconcerting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>John Kerry</b> – I’ve held Kerry in high esteem since his VVAW days, and he proved an enthusiastic and perfectly acceptable Secretary of State. And all those heartland Republican dumbshits who dishonored his patriotism - remember “Purple Heart Band-Aids?” - still owe apologies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rex Tillerson</b> - Unqualified, unmotivated, and unmissed. Although he did presciently, if rudely, elucidate that President Trump is a “fucking moron,” so, props for that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Mike Pompeo</b> – Simply. The. Worst. Smug, self-righteous, and belligerent, Pompeo is a dangerous religious fanatic and a godawful Secretary of State. His hackish sycophancy to Trump always takes precedent over the needs of the Foreign Service, resulting in systemic failure to support honest-to-goodness diplomats trying to do their damned jobs. He occasionally talks a good game, but it’s all bullshit: Mike Pompeo does not have your back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be continued…</div>
Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-37773417754884372562020-03-30T07:14:00.002-07:002020-03-30T07:14:06.887-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #04<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Felicitations From Fairhope #04<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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30 March 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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[<b>Productive Sideline Sidebar</b> - This series of postings - six in total - was completed before we were all engulfed by the advent of The Virus. We now live in a time when learning to make a protective facemask may soon count as extra credit on a citizenship exam. We can only hope…]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Six Postings on Five Continents (cont.)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><i>TOURISM<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Tourist opportunities were a bit limited, although the horrific slave forts at Cape Coast and Elmina deservedly draw a lot of visitors. The Ghanaians were working hard, however, to improve their tourist service infrastructure and I think it would be interesting to return and see the changes. Countries visited: Ghana, Benin, Poland (for CLO training), Senegal, Togo, Uganda. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - Completely off the hook. Southern Africa absolutely abounds with wonderful places to visit and we still have an unfinished list. Countries visited: South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland (now known as eSwatini), Zimbabwe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> – In the USA, air travel is unbearable, the highways invite sudden death, and the passenger railroad system is lame to the point of embarrassment. But, WTF. It’s a big country and DC has a lot of great stuff to see.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - Argentina, like South Africa, was outstanding for gringo tourists. Another unfinished list. Countries visited: Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - I have a photo of a sign written in English and Burmese: “Warmly Welcome and Take Care of Tourists.” We enjoyed travelling in Myanmar and SE Asia, although tourist infrastructure varies in its development and in some places the hustle is a bit much. Countries visited: Myanmar (still known officially as Burma), Australia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - Are you kidding? Countries visited: Italy, Austria, Malta, Norway, Portugal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>Travel Clarification Sidebar</b> – Countries listed do not include those visited solo by A.J. as part of her job. Now THAT is an interesting list.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>SOCIAL LIFE<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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[<b>Note</b>: This category is based on day-to-day experiences. It is worth mentioning that both of us worked, so late nights were not habitual occurrences. In addition, the CLO (Community Liaison Officer) at each post routinely organized events for embassy personnel and their families. And, obviously, the arrival of visitors tended to reorder things a bit.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Once the Embassy relocated to the fabulous Cantonments neighborhood, the quality of social interaction improved markedly (e.g.: “Movie Night at The Hamptons”). Our compound often had community parties and the Embassy, including the Marine House (aka, party central), was a short walk away. In addition, the American and French ambassadors regularly held soirees at their substantial cribs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - Redeemed by the fact that Anne’s excellent boss, who employed an excellent cook, loved to throw excellent parties. Also, the Ambassador was very generous about opening his doors to events for Embassy staff. And the Rosebank Sunday Market in Joburg was a dependably great outing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> – Pretty much what you’d expect. It was also very nice to be able to visit family and friends on a more regular basis.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - A.J.’s boss, who lived in a killer high-rise apartment, was a fine hostess and the Ambassador’s residence, which is literally a palace, has a lovely outdoor venue for events. We also went to art exhibits, a few movies, and numerous concerts featuring great music in historic theatres with horrible seats.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - The exemplary staff at “The Shang” went out of their way to plan activities for the residents, and going out to eat, especially Sunday Brunch at The Shangri-La Hotel, was a thing. Events at the Ambassador and DCM (Deputy Chief of Mission) residences were very nice, although getting there in Yangon traffic was an adventure.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - There were the normal plethora of options (museums, galleries, churches, scenic ruins, etc.), but going out at night, especially school nights, was not all that convenient for us, although we did make it to the opera and ballet a few times. The Embassy hosted the usual line-up of family events, but the Ambassador’s residence was, in contrast to previous postings, largely inaccessible to the hoi polloi. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To be continued…</div>
Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-13131232024425328482020-03-28T07:19:00.003-07:002020-03-28T07:22:04.731-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #03<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Felicitations From Fairhope #03<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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28 March 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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[<b>Mental Health Sidebar</b> - This series of postings - six in total - was completed before we were all engulfed by the advent of The Virus. We now live in a time where the general operating principle is “… and then it gets worse.” That may well be, but in constant vigilance lurks madness, so…]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Six Postings on Five Continents (cont.)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><i>HOUSING<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Pretty nice. Lived in a new compound of five duplexes known, rather enchantingly, as “The Hamptons.” Decent housing with intermittent water issues and Third World Internet. Security included a casually-staffed gatehouse, an electronic alarm system that we never used, and a massive steel grate for the front door that was simply too much.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - Acceptable. A stand-alone located in a very scenic subdivision that used to be a farm. Lovely for evening walks. The house was nothing special, but security was over the top: A gatehouse, electronic alarm system (complicated to the point of uselessness), hourly drive-by security patrols, and 22 actual locking doors/grates.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - Acceptable. We considered DC something of a “hardship post,” primarily due to housing costs. Our place was small, comfortable, convenient, and heinously expensive. Naturally, DC was our only posting at which DoS had zero concern about security.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - Excellent. Lovely 9<sup>th</sup> floor apartment on a 10-lane thoroughfare, with a security guard and portero (building superintendent). Also, a wonderful balcony with a view of the Southern Cross. The only drawback to the place was the mutant all-in-one washer/dryer. Whoever came up with that design needs to find another line of work. Also, another posting, another unused alarm system. The door was solid, it locked, and we felt quite safe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - Excellent. The Shangri-La Residences is basically a self-contained hotel. The rooms were furnished (although the furniture was a bit clunky), we had housekeeping service every day, and the staff could not have been more helpful. We also had a very large and delightful saltwater swimming pool. We really – really - miss that. Security was tight, primarily at the entrance gate, and there was staff everywhere. No alarm system, not that we would have used it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - Acceptable. A decent, typical Roman apartment: high ceilings, no closets, weird Italian plumbing, and a very amenable Sri Lankan portiere. We had to furnish it ourselves, but it was in a safe, conveniently located neighborhood. Our apartment security consisted of a very serious front door lock and… that’s it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>TRANSPORTATION</i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Unreliable public transportation, so we needed a car to get to work until the Embassy relocated close to our residence. Having a vehicle was a real pain-in-the-ass. Going out at night was not advisable, since many local drivers would not turn on their headlights in order to conserve their batteries. (?) Taxis were surprisingly easy to find and usually acceptable. Walking options: Limited.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - Public transportation was chaotic and getting a taxi was not easy, so we had to have a vehicle. It was a nice saloon car (sedan), but if I had it to do over, I would have opted for something larger with very tough, pothole-resistant tires. A Defender, perhaps? (I wish.) Walking options: Terrible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - Our trusty Honda Element, a.k.a. “The Toaster,” was waiting for us. Man, I loved that vehicle. Except for occasionally taking Anne to work at Main State, however, I avoided driving (much less parking) in DC as much as possible. But the METRO was close and worked well enough. Walking options: Excellent<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - I sold the Element before we left DC (sigh), so we had no personal vehicle in BsAs. Which was great. We took taxis and buses everywhere and if we wanted to go somewhere further afield, we’d hire a car and driver. Walking options: Excellent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - No car, no reliable public transportation, no problem. We counted on cheap taxis and had good drivers whom we used on a regular basis. Walking options: Limited.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - No car, but no place to park one anyway, so… Rome has a moderately dependable public transportation system, convenient (though expensive) taxis, and, when you want to get out of town, trains. We love trains. Walking options: Excellent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be continued…</div>
Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-35811789838393674782020-03-26T06:18:00.004-07:002020-03-26T06:18:29.133-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #02<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Follow-up From Fairhope #02<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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01 April 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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[<b>Ongoing Viral Sidebar</b> - This series of postings - six in total - was completed before we were all engulfed by the advent of The Virus. We now live in a time where almost everything not health-related seems somehow frivolous. That may well be, but the world spins on and so I might as well get these out the door.] <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Six Postings on Five Continents (cont.)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><i>FOOD</i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Rich, spicy, and cooked with deliciously bad-for-you-and-the-environment palm oil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Banku (fermented maize and cassava dough) with goat stew<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Jollof rice<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Kenkey (boiled maize dough) with fried fish<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Red-red (cowpeas served with fried plantains)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - ZA food was great and very eclectic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Boerewors (sausage, grilled on the braai)<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Bobotie (<span style="background-color: white;">spiced minced meat with an egg and milk topping, baked)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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- Potjiekos (meat, potatoes, veggies cooked in a pot)<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Biltong (jerky made from an astounding variety of mammals)<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Savory pancakes<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Springbok carpaccio<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Very fine wines<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - There is a wide variety of really good food available in DC, from the familiarly exotic (Ethiopian) to the deliciously dangerous (Ben’s Chili Bowl.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - There is less variety in BsAs than one might expect, but the big deal is, of course, meat. Except for burgers (which we made at home), we made a point of going out to a local parillia whenever we had a craving for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Lomo (tenderloin, medium rare) <o:p></o:p></div>
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- Patagonian lamb (grilled over an asado)<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Empanadas (ubiquitous)<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>Frozen Confection Sidebar</b> - Two blocks from our apartment was a gelato shoppe that had a Monday Special: 2-for-1 kilos of ice cream. OMG.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - After Argentina, Myanmar was a serious change of pace. Rice, rice, and more rice, so we ate virtually no red meat for two years. Which was just fine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Mohinga (rice noodles covered in a fish soup, served for breakfast)<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Nan Gyi Thoke (thick rice noodles with chicken curry, garnished with onions, chilies, crispy noodles, hard-boiled egg, and lime)<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Shan noodles<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Fish curry<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>SE Asian Culinary Sidebar</b> - We spent a few days in and out of Hanoi, and it bears repeating: Vietnamese food is among the Top 5 cuisines on the planet.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rome</b> – The best part of living in Rome, culinarily speaking, is the ready availability of fresh fruits and veggies, interesting cured meats and cheeses, and – most importantly – really good bread. Like, everywhere. (Finding really good bread in Alabama can be a challenge.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>Italian Culinary Heresy Sidebar</b> - While pizza dough should be delicious, it exists to serve as a delivery system for tasty toppings, which are, after all, the point. This is why New Haven pizza, to site one example, is better than Roman pizza. Also, you’d be amazed at how often Italian restaurants undercook their pasta. I’m pretty good with pasta, and “al dente” does not mean “crunchy.”]<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>LANGUAGE</i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Colonized by Great Britain, so English is widely spoken. I am not good with languages and had no chance whatsoever with the local dialects.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - 11 official languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu; including English, of course.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - Again with the Brits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - Yep, them again; but Spanish prevails. In three years, I attained the proficiency of a not terribly dim 5-year old. I make no apologies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> – Yet more British influence, which is lucky for me, since Burmese is impossible. Although it is a beautiful written language. Looks like bubbles.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - As lame as my Spanish is, my Italian is worse. I kept trying, but still tended to panic and default to español, which resulted in much Roman amusement. Fortunately, most urban Italians speak some English and, of course, hand gestures are always appropriate and even helpful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be continued…</div>
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Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-11532406892602475792020-03-22T16:00:00.000-07:002020-03-23T06:36:42.193-07:00Felicitations From Fairhope #01<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>Felicitations From Fairhope #01<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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22 March 2020<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Hello there… Rodger French here.</div>
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[<b>Important Caveat Sidebar</b> - This series of postings - six in total - was completed before we were all engulfed by the advent of The Virus. We now live in a time where almost everything not health-related seems somehow frivolous. That may well be, but the world spins on and sometimes all we can do is try to stand our ground and tell our stories. So, in that spirit, onward.]</div>
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<b>Six posting on five continents</b>… <o:p></o:p></div>
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2006-08: Accra, Ghana<o:p></o:p></div>
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2008-10: Pretoria, South Africa<o:p></o:p></div>
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2010-12: Washington, DC<o:p></o:p></div>
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2012-15: Buenos Aires, Argentina<o:p></o:p></div>
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2015-17: Yangon, Myanmar<o:p></o:p></div>
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2017-20: Rome, Italy<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not bad, not bad at all. And now, thanks to mandatory retirement, our State Department career had come to its conclusion. Not that we aren’t ready. Schlepping all your stuff around the world every two or three years never gets any easier, but we are moving one last time into a very nice house in a very nice place (Fairhope), on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay (a.k.a. the nice part of Alabama).<o:p></o:p></div>
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[<b>Demographic Sidebar</b> - I have no particular homesteading attachment to any specific place in the U.S., but Anne considers Fairhope her real home, and since my home is wherever she is, I have become a citizen of the state of Alabama.]<o:p></o:p></div>
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This being a development of some import, I submit that a reasonably concise evaluation of our DoS assignments is called for. Long-time readers will recognize that a great deal - well, practically all - of this has been covered in some detail over the years. But in the interest of perspective, posterity, and why-the-hell-not, here we go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve elected to break this down into categories and then summarize (and occasionally rank) each posting accordingly. These categories are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Climate </i></b><i>/<b> People </b>/<b> Food </b>/<b> Language </b>/<b> Housing </b>/<b> Transportation </b>/ </i><b><i>Tourism </i></b><i>/<b> Social Life </b>/<b> The Embassy </b>/<b> DoS Employment </b>/ </i><b><i>Musical Opportunities</i></b></div>
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Alrighty, then. Let’s get to it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>CLIMATE<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Hot all the time, except during the Harmattan, when a northeasterly trade wind blows in from the Sahel, bringing dust from the Sahara, temporarily reducing sunshine, and creating what Ghanaians call “European weather.” That is, less hot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - Pretty much perfect year round, not unlike the central California coast, only without the wildfires.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - Heinous summers (although living in Arlington, VA lifted us above the swamp), intermittently hard winters. Otherwise, very nice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - Summer (like, around Christmas) brings brief periods of purely heinous heat, but the constant breezes (“buenos aires”) make this a fundamentally pleasant city in which to live.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - Basically, three seasons: hot and humid, hot and dry, and monsoon. To be fair, there is a short, but brief period of pleasantly cool weather as well, when the locals put on jackets and the expats don’t.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - Quite decent, notwithstanding the somewhat miserable summers, when everyone unconnected to the ZOTA™ skips town. E ottobre a Roma è la perfezione.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>PEOPLE<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b>Accra</b> - Ghanaians are overwhelmingly very friendly, hospitable people and we felt most welcome there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pretoria</b> - South Africa is strange. Our interactions with most folks were perfectly OK, but the residual vibe of the hideous system of apartheid permeates everything. Crime and outrageous economic inequality are immense problems, although there are glimmers of hope, especially when the Springboks win the Rugby World Cup.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Washington, DC</b> - Exactly what we expected.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Buenos Aires</b> - Porteños are like most people who live in large cities: busy and self-absorbed, but also basically decent and helpful. That said, ne’re-do-wells made several (unsuccessful) attempts to scam us ¡Cuidado con la Gente Mostaza!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yangon</b> - The (mostly) Burmese people could not have been nicer to us. But it hurts my heart to see such hatred directed at the Rohingya. I simply do not understand nor know how to come to terms with that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rome</b> - Romans are alright, though I am of the opinion that they have basically adopted the mindset of the city itself: Rome is over 2700 years old and has earned to right to not give a shit. I respect that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be continued…</div>
Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-72320712881761022192020-02-06T11:56:00.002-08:002020-02-07T00:59:47.800-08:00Reflections From Roma #21<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Reflections From Roma #21<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">07 febbraio 2020<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Well, this is it. Our two-and-a-half years in Roma have passed with inevitable and ridiculous alacrity. So, it is time for the customary short, yet superficial summation of various day-to-day things we will - and will not - miss about this particular posting. Here we go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Will miss…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The light of the morning sun on the Aurelian Wall and the dome of the Excelsior Hotel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fresh Italian bread.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Morning cappuccino. And a toasted sandwich – prosciutto cotto, formaggio e julienne di zucchine pizzetta (ham, cheese, and shredded zucchini on pizza bread) - served at the Elephant Bar, the Embassy café.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mozzarella di Bufala (fresh buffalo milk cheese) and Burrata (fresh cow milk cheese made with mozzarella and cream). I despair that finding anything remotely like these formaggi fantastici in Alabama will be impossible. At best.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Roma, seen from the roof of the Embassy. With the city to the south and the mountains to the north, on dramatic weather days the view is downright cinematic. The roof is also an ideal place to observe seagulls perched on the heads of defenseless statues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Roman seagulls. They are big, they are beautiful, and they perch wherever they damn well please. Respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Will not miss…</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Garbage. We live in Parioli, which is described as a “posh” neighborhood, although our building, “ La Fondiaria” (according to a weathered plaque by the entrance), is decidedly not swankish. Anyway, there are large garbage bins positioned all over the place and most of the time they are full to overflowing. This is a very serious problem for the entire city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Traffic. As one sagacious taxi driver remarked: “Roma has had traffic jams for 2000 years and we’re still using the same roads.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Roman buses. A sizeable number of which are evidently manufactured with no suspension systems whatsoever. I keep looking for one to rattle itself completely apart, like some raggedy-ass jalopy in a Buster Keaton movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Roman dust. There are only two domestic chores that I utterly detest: Trimming the yard and dusting. Fortunately, we have no yard. But the “dust” that settles in our apartment is pretty nasty stuff - grimy and relentless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Roman water. There’s nothing, like, poisonous about it, but it is absolutely lousy with calcium that leaves a mineral residue on sinks and utensils. And one’s kidneys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Noisy neighbors. Between the constant crying of an unfortunate child in the apartment below us and what-sounds-like the moving of furniture late at night by people wearing wooden clogs and stiletto heels in the apartment above… Basta! already.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The ZOTA™. The Zombie Tourist Apocalypse rages on, unstoppable, although gratefully avoidable. That said… fist fights over selfie rights at la fontana di Trevi? Molto divertente.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Will miss…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Trains! We took a bunch of train trips to a bunch of interesting places and, although we experienced a few frustrations (delays, breakdowns, wildcat strikes, etc.), the overall level of service was actually respectable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Firenze. What a fascinating place. The knowledge that this unique city is a mere hour and a half away by train is somehow reassuring. And the bookstore at Le </span><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Gallerie degli Uffizi is fabu.</span><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Winter outerwear. When the weather turns even slightly cool, Romans immediately break out their quilted puffy jackets and coats. Imagine the Michelin Man, but considerably more stylish. I find it strangely adorable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Church bells. Italia is, of course, supremely fraught with churches and campanili, so bells are a regular and welcome accompaniment to the soundtrack of daily life. But the extravagant cacophony they create in celebration of major religious occasions is both surreal and exalting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our famiglia italiana. We’ve known and occasionally visited these wonderful people for many years, but living in their country and having frequent opportunities to see them has been a cherished gift. Such friendships are unyielding to the rigors of time and distance. Now, if we can just get them back to the States…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next up: “Follow-up From Fairhope,” a multi-part evaluation of our DoS assignments: Six postings on five continents. Should be fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Arrivederci, Roma. Onward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rodger</span><span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-9312828847577876512019-12-29T03:33:00.001-08:002019-12-29T03:34:03.202-08:00Reflections From Roma #20<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Reflections From Roma #20<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">31 dicembre 2019<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Photo Update Alert</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana";">www.photos.google.com<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">“</span><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qd8pnrDP7dxkWt6A6" style="font-family: Verdana;">Verona/Venezia</a><span style="font-family: "verdana";">” “<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/aGGvSWcLVAs4m6Ro9">Venezia 2</a>"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Winter tourism in Italia is a tricky business. On the one hand, the ZOTA™ tapers off a bit, so there is less heinous crowding. The weather, however, can be cold, wet, and unpredictable. In any case, we decided to take a Christmas excursion by rail to two of the cities on our endless “must see” checklist: Verona and Venezia (Venice).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Verona</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">- Verona is a picturesque city on the Adige River, with an ancient Roman arena, still used for opera productions, and a very cool and imposing medieval fortress called the Castelvecchio. And, naturally, there are the churches, several of which are both ancient and magnificent. Good sightseeing, even in the drizzle, although, alas, not a lot of photographic opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For what it’s worth, William Shakespeare, who apparently never visited the place, set not one, but two plays there (“The Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “Romeo and Juliet”). There actually exists a “Juliet’s Balcony,” which is (a) a huge tourist attraction and (b) totally bogus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">In spite of the inclement weather, many people turned out for the Christmas markets and everyone seemed to have a fine time. Verona is a lovely place and we enjoyed it very much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Venezia</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">- One of the most famous, treasured, and endangered cities on the planet, Venezia has inspired artists and tourists for hundreds of years. The notion of a city with waterways instead of streets is impossibly romantic, but quotidian reality demands diligent tide monitoring. High tides may necessitate the wearing of very serious rubber footwear, which most visitors do not own, and during exceptional tide peaks known as “acqua alta,” tourism becomes a water sport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Tourist numbers are off about 50% this winter due to the catastrophic flooding of last November. This is, of course, terrible for those who rely on the tourism industry for a living. The upside, if it may be called thus, is that on this Christmas week, Venezia was merely crowded, rather than inundated, with visitors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Fortunately, Venetians have had over 1000 years to learn how to live with the Adriatic Sea. To accommodate tourists during the acqua alta, the city erects sturdy pedestrian walkways (about three feet high, three-to-five feet wide, with <u>no handrails</u>) across flooded areas. Traffic flows both ways, and caution is essential to insure that you don’t take a header onto an unforgiving surface covered in dirty water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">[<b>Boardwalk Etiquette Sidebar</b>- (1.) Stay to the right, except when - and only with utmost caution and courtesy - passing. (2.) If you’re wearing high-water boots, get your sorry ass off the walkways and into the water. That’s the point of the boots, fool. (3.) Keep moving. Unless there’s an emergency, which taking a stupid selfie is decidedly not. (Selfies are second only to cruise ships on the list of Satan’s contributions to global tourism.)]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">But, aside from the inevitable ZOTA™ aggravations, Venezia is absolutely worth the time, effort, and expense (it is not cheap). Time and tide prevented us from seeing all we wanted, but I enthusiastically recommend visiting the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana";">Gallerie dell'Accademia and the Palazzo Ducale. And especially the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (named after San Roch, protector against the plague and patron saint of dogs), which is home to dozens of large and fabulous paintings by Tintoretto. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I also commend to you the light. We sprang for a great hotel room with a spectacular view, and, at dawn and dusk in particular, the city looks like an enormous watercolour. Bellissima. Venezia is an exceptional place with a fascinating history and we’re very fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend some time there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And thus concludes our major travels in Italia/Europa. A.J. and I have a day trip to Firenze and a weekend in Verbania on our calendar, but that’s it. Which is somewhat stunning, but, as always, the tempus, it has fugited. I’ll be sending one more posting from Roma, just to wrap things up. But don’t imagine that’s the last of it. There’s still an evaluation of our State Department assignments in the works, so stay tuned.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Felice anno nuovo. Onward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Rodger<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-16170010749580945092019-11-20T10:14:00.002-08:002019-12-29T03:34:31.712-08:00Reflections From Roma #19<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Reflections From Roma #19<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">22 novembre 2019<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Photo Update Alert</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/YvJUZh9whmLFgXdg6">www.photos.google.com</a></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">“Puglia”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">As our tour in Italia winds down, and we are busily scheduling all the travel we can possibly get away with, I’m pleased to report that our most recent trip, a week in Puglia in October, was molto successo. Fine weather, great food, and - grazie alle stelle - no ZOTA™. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Lecce</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">- </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Five and a half hours from Roma by train, Lecce is located in the Apuglia region at the “heel” of the Italian Peninsula. It is over 2000 years old and has, of course, been occupied by an assortment of conquerors. It is a beautiful city, sometimes called “The Florence of the South,” with ancient Roman ruins and beautiful Baroque churches and monuments, many of which are constructed with leccisu (“Lecce stone”), a locally quarried limestone famous for its malleability and beautiful color.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Monopoli</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">- </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Riding the rails, Monopoli is located on the Adriatic coast, a short distance from Leece. The centro storico (old town) is small and a safe place to lose your sense of direction as you wander about in search of the perfect seafood restaurant. Lots of churches, all closed, but none seemed to be in actual use. The waterfront was modest and picturesque, with fishing boats coming and going, fishermen mending their nets, and groups of old Italian ragazzi (guys) haggling over the day’s catch.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Alberobello</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">- </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">This is one of the “must see” sites in Puglia, renowned for its </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana";">trulli, hundreds of whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs. We had to engage a car to take us there/back from Monopoli, and an English-speaking tour guide as well. The whole arrangement was a bit expensive, but worth it. Of particular interest is the fact that the houses were built without mortar so that they could be easily disassembled, in order to avoid taxes levied by the Spanish viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples. From tax dodge to UNESCO World Heritage site… not bad at all.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Bari</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">- The capital of Apuglia and a major port city, Bari was quite a change of pace. The city has changed hands numerous times in 2000 years, suffering through the usual appalling and inevitable cruelties of conquest. The centro storico is extensive, very lived-in, and a bit seedy. Primo tourist sights include the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana";">Hohenstaufen Castle built for Frederick II (and rebuilt several times), and a couple of truly impressive churches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana";">The most famous of these is the Basilica di San Nicola. Consecrated in 1197, it attracted both Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christian pilgrims whose well-being became central to Bari’s economy. (The Basilica remains an important pilgrim destination.) Inside are interred the remains (hijacked by sailors from a church in what is now Turkey) of Saint Nicholas, alleged hometown boy and patron saint of, among other things, children, sailors, and thieves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana";">Bari also has a beautiful lungomare (waterfront) and we enjoyed strolling along the strand as we searched for the perfect fish sandwich joint.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Trani</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">- This lovely port, 45 minutes from Bari by train, was a charming place to spend a day. Trani has a rather impressive history for such a small city. During the Crusades in the 11<sup>th</sup>century, it was the most important port on the Adriatic. Indeed, the West’s oldest surviving maritime law code was written there in 1063. Trani also played an important role in Medieval Jewish history. And, of course, there was the inevitable imposing cathedral that, of course, was closed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">FWIW, we’re going to be spending the next few weekends traipsing around Roma, looking at new things. In December, it’s off to Verona and Venizia (assuming it doesn’t get washed away) for the Christmas holiday. Then, in January one more trip to Verbania to see our famiglia italiana. After that, Stateside and retirement beckons. Stay tuned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Onward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Rodger<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-34111411922242563872019-09-12T09:41:00.000-07:002019-09-12T09:41:00.306-07:00Reflections From Roma #18<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reflections From Roma #18<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">12 settembre 2019<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Photo Update Alert</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">:</span></div>
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<a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMkjNKxjFNBN0xXc9CZYLS-2hdf0GcbiX0c7LBlVJcFtvljocspV1r7mFFelcGOMg?key=OTRmV01DWkdwc01TbUhXdVlyQk51WUxvWFlrSTJn"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>www.photos.google.com</i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">“Bologna/Ravenna”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hello there… Rodger French here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is our third September in Roma, and the weather is just as beautiful as when we arrived in 2017: Sunny and fine by day, cool at night, less humidity and rain, and lovely breezes. After a typically hot Roman summer, it’s good to be cool(ish) again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With the change of seasons, and only six months left in the Foreign Service before A.J.’s retirement (five in my case; more on that later), we’re slotting our dance card with Italian excursions. Cue the highlight reel:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">Bologna</span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">-<b></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The seventh largest city in Italia and <span style="color: #1a1a1a;">capital of the Emilia-Romagna region </span>is an easy train trip from Roma. It has the customary scenic piazzas, cathedrals, and museums, as well as something like 40 km of covered arcades (nice). But the big feature is the food. Bologna is regularly touted as having the nation’s finest cuisine.</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We arranged to join a small group on a food tour, led by Benedetta, a very knowledgeable young woman, which featured many tasty items, among them mortadella (that’s baloney for grownups), fresh tagliatelle with ragu, and homemade peach/rosemary gelato. Having thus gained critical intel as to where the good stuff was, over the course of the next few days we consumed a reasonably immense amount of meat and fish - cooked, cured, and tartared - and more fresh pasta. Eating well may not be the best revenge, but it is indisputably time well spent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">Ravenna</span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">- </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Former capital of the Western Roman Empire (402-476), subsequently ruled by the Ostrogoths, Byzantines, and Lombards, and now home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ravenna is renowned for Byzantine mosaics dating from the 5<sup>th</sup>and 6<sup>th</sup>century. Situated only 69 km from Bologna, it was the perfect destination for a couple of day trippers. We arrived by an early train in order to avoid the ZOTA™, and so had no difficulty spending some quality time amongst the splendor.</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The mosaics, located in various baptistries, mausoleums, and basilicas are simply beautiful (see photo link above). In particular, the panels of Emperor Justinian I and Empress Theodora in the Basilica of San Vitale are, like, <i>National Geographic</i>-ly famous. Ravenna is worth further exploration, but our time was what it was, so we got what we got. We have no complaints.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">[<b>Literary Sidebar</b>- Ravenna is also the resting place of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), poet and author of <i>Divina Comedia</i>(<i>Divine Comedy</i>), which I have actually read. In it’s entirety. Anyway, Dante was Florentine, but naturally there was the requisite dramma italiano, and so he ended up exiled and died in Ravenna. Reportedly, Firenze would like his remains repatriated. (Not going to happen.)]</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">Capuchin Crypt</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">- Closer to home, indeed, a few moments’ walk from the U.S. Embassy, is this. And, since I really can’t do better, take it away, Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">“The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_Crypt">Capuchin Crypt</a> </span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">is a small space comprising several tiny chapels located beneath the church of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">on the Via Veneto near<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Piazza Barberini<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Rome<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">. It contains the skeletal remains of 3,700 bodies believed to be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Capuchin<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"> </span></span>friars<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">buried by their order.</span><sup><span style="color: #222222;"></span></sup><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Catholic order <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">insists that the display is not meant to be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>macabre<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">, but a silent reminder of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>the swift passage of life on Earth and our own mortality<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reactions to this sort of exhibit vary dramatically. For my part, I did not have a clear idea of what to expect and so was rather unprepared for what awaited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Capuchin Crypt is one of the most compelling places I have ever visited, and moved me to weep openly. To my eyes, the great care and respect that went into creating this work of art from the bones of the dead was obvious and altogether praiseworthy. I am still somewhat taken aback by the depth of my response. Still processing… which is, of course, the point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Next stop: Puglia, by train, in October.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Onward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Rodger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-74523482613799097792019-08-11T08:15:00.002-07:002019-08-11T08:15:52.883-07:00Reflections From Roma #17<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reflections From Roma #17<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">11 agosto 2019<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hello there… Rodger French here.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In case you haven’t seen this latest Italian news item (no, not the one about the imminent - and utterly predictable - collapse of the current coalition government), the city of Rome has decided to crack down on unruly tourists, “</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212; font-family: Verdana;">including a ban on ‘messy eating’ by monuments, wandering around bare-chested, jumping into fountains, and dragging wheeled suitcases and pushchairs down historic staircases.” Not unreasonable, but…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212; font-family: Verdana;">The new regs also include the possibility of a €250 ($280) fine for sitting on the Spanish Steps. Which is completely ridiculous. Roma is an exhausting place to be a tourist and the picturesque streets of paving stones are a podiatric nightmare, especially for the elderly. A few minutes of respite on some monumental staircase seems entirely acceptable (What, you think the ancient Romans didn’t sit their asses down?), as long as you don’t make a damned mess. This is especially true in the heat of summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212; font-family: Verdana;">Personally, I have never found the concept of “summer vacation” particularly satisfying. That’s not to say that, as a kid, I was unhappy to be finished with school for a few months each year. But, while it might have made sense when society was mostly rural and the kiddos were needed to help out with harvesting and other backbreaking farm labor, summer vacation always seemed like something of a cheat to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212; font-family: Verdana;">My mother was a school lunchroom manager, so when school was out, she was basically unemployed until after Labor Day. My father, a railroad man, worked 50 weeks straight, with two weeks off for vacation - a brutal business model, in my view. Both my folks worked very hard and deserved a real break, not a frantic fortnight wrangling three aggravating boys into a massive station wagon (with no seatbelts, no A/C, no power features of any kind) and heading down the road to either the “country” or the beach, both of which featured miserable heat, cancerous sunburn, and pestilent insects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212; font-family: Verdana;">[<b>Nostalgia Sidebar</b>- To be fair, there were many good moments; e.g., playing horseshoes with the grownups behind Lawler’s General Store in Munfordville, KY. Also, walking down the railroad tracks to watch the L&N drop off the mailbag as it rumbled past the depot was a fun daily ritual. And Virginia Beach was much more pleasant when “angels” (cumulus clouds) appeared, bringing shade and blessed relief. That, and more seafood than I could ever seem to get in Louisville.]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212; font-family: Verdana;">But even as a kid, I remember thinking that this ubiquitous leisure system was messed up. What in the world was wrong with vacationing during spring or fall, seasons that are generally cool and comfortable and much more pleasant? And why is the deck stacked liked this? And do I want to let this be the template for my life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212; font-family: Verdana;">I consider myself most fortunate. Due to a motley synthesis of some actual design and a boatload of dumb luck, I have, for most of my adult life, been able to travel and vacation when I feel like it, more or less. Sometimes you get what you plan on, sometimes you get more than you bargained for, and sometimes you simply get what you get. But it is a gift to be able to see and experience the world on your own terms, più o meno. And if that includes Roma in the summer (FYI, today’s high temperature: </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">101</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">°F), well, buona fortuna.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;">And should you feel the need, by all means take a load off your feet.</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"> Roma is 2700 years old. Roma does not mind.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Onward.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Rodger</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885947059320786700.post-66686220233844951212019-07-18T09:31:00.000-07:002019-07-18T09:31:42.237-07:00Reflections From Roma #16<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Reflections From Roma #16<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">18 julio 2019<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Hello there… Rodger French here.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Once again I come to you in supplication, to apologize for my lack of diligence as a foreign correspondent. And, once again, I can offer only that my life is – for the moment, at least – pretty boring and not worth cluttering your inbox with. True, we’re still living in Roma, but even that becomes routine after a couple of years. I do not, however, expect this to remain so indefinitely. Indeed, we have some pretty cool excursion prospects, and then there’s the whole matter of A.J.’s imminent retirement in March 2020. But, for now, it’s just another summer in the Eternal City.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Which, as I probably observed last year, is not without its charms. Although it gets very hot during the day, Roman mornings are quite often beguiling masterpieces of bright blue skies and moderate temperatures, with the occasional whisper of light winds. And as we get closer to August 15 and the Ferragosto holiday, Roma becomes increasingly devoid of actual Romans, and the city – ZOTA™ notwithstanding – becomes molto tranquillo. So we go about our business, do our jobs, and endeavor to minimize our exposure to Il Duce americano Benito Cheeto, the idiota tossico in the White House.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">What else… I recently viewed “Amazing Grace,” a documentary film about the recording of the best-selling live gospel double LP by Aretha Franklin, with Rev. James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir, in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Writers more erudite than I have reviewed both the music and the film, so I will add only this: While the film is a bit of a mess, Ms. Franklin is gloriously not. She is magnificent, a queen in her prime, bringing her majestic musical gifts humbly before the Lord. One need not be a religious person to be moved by that. Behold and rejoice.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">[<b>Past Life Sidebar</b>– My first broadcasting gig (1973) was at WGRI-AM, a country music station in Griffin, GA. I worked Sunday mornings from 06:00–12:00; a timeslot devoted to religious programming, some recorded, but mostly live. My duties included announcing, playing tapes and commercials, setting up the studio for local performers (nearly all of whom were Black), and collecting money from them for airtime ($8/15 min., $15/30 min.).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I became friendly with the musicians and was, on several occasions, invited to come to a “Gospel Soul Train,” usually at a rural AME church. These shows featured the people I worked with as well as a “big name” or two. Hundreds of Black folks would come out, sanctified and ready to bring the funk in the name of Jesus, and I was always warmly welcomed. I also had a certain amount of street cred, since I brought a tape recorder and managed to get decent recordings that I would edit, copy, and give to performers for use as demos. These were righteous experiences and I am honored to have had them.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">[</span><b style="font-family: verdana;">Breaking Musical</b><b style="font-family: verdana;">Sidebar</b><span style="font-family: verdana;">: I am going to record a fourth solo accordion album. (Pause for dramatic effect.) “Loose Endz” will be an eclectic collection of 12 pieces that have been in the repertoire for years, decades even. My cunning plan is to record/mix sometime this fall at Casa della Musica, a picturesque B&B operated by our famiglia italiana in Vignone, near Lago Maggiore. Haven’t worked out the details concerning mastering, but I do have an album engineer, designer, and photographer lined up, and will be printing a smallish number of CDs in addition to making the recordings available online. For free. Obviously, this scheme is fully half-baked and confidence is high. I will… keep you posted.]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Onward.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Rodger</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rodger Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177421020822181653noreply@blogger.com0