The Queue and the Elevator Call Button

I love people watching, as you know. This latest example doesn't disappoint, yet raises questions about the logic skills possessed by the average person. What goes through the minds of people who feel the need to not observe and accept the fact that I may have some competence in the world? My story:

Whilst I was on queue in the computer lab this noon, suddenly a girl, rather rudely asked if I had checked all of the stations for open computers as I was the first on line for one. Not waiting for a response, she walked the entire length of the room to see if there was an open station before returning to the queue. I could only assume that she felt my skills of observation necessitated verification by her. I didn't say anything to her, I might have, but rather enjoyed also observing the fact that two others who had trusted my ability to see had fallen in line behind me. This young lady's impatience had delayed her even more.
Who among us observers of the world have had experiences such as these? If I am standing in from of an elevator door and the button is lit, intuition should say that I have obviously already pushed the button, yet more often than not another person enters the scene and pushes the lit call button. Waste of calories.
The last example of the strange need for self verification before I go: Consider the hypothetical Door around which a number of students stand with anticipation in their eyes. Would the newcomer assume that the door is indeed locked and we are awaiting a key master to provide access to the room behind it?
Sadly, my observations have confirmed that the newcomer is more oft to press through the crowd of people and test his Arthurian might against a door which has failed to yield to all the rest. I would truly be amazed if the door actually opened, but it never does, because it is just as locked as it was when the last newcomer tried to open it.

Observe, good friends
I like the change of tone in this blog...

Stupid People

Have you ever walked through a group of people and felt like you would never pass through to the other side alive? Yeah, this happened to me yesterday. I was exiting my French class and had to walk through a group of very material looking young women. I was hesitant at first, but I had to go on through. The first thing I hear is an unidentified sentence with that little upward inflection at the end of it. Like a valley girl/Long Island princess type inflection. Its the type of inflection used to form a question for a normal speaker. However used liberally by these young ladies in statements and exclamations as well...incorrectly. So I think to myself "Robert, don't listen to them, wahtever you do, they might hurt your brain and you might never recover!!" But alas, did I listen to myself? No. My ears honed in and I hear "When does the next daylight savings time come, like next week?" It's November 20. Daylight savings just ended. ouch! I think I just lost the ability to add simple numbers trying to think about that statement. So what do I do, I listen for a response. I hear "Yeah I know it gets dark at like 2 o'clock." I start to reach the end of the crowd, for a moment I feel as if I am beginning to black out. I just make it out of earshot and slowly begin to recover from the shock I had just endured. These people are in college. Even worse, they are old enough to vote. No wonder the world is going to the dogs. Just thought I would share my near death experience with you.

October Storm part II

On my way home I received a telephone call from Amy (the GF). "Are you liking the snow?" "yeah, I know, it's actually sticking down here." I arrived at the University and attended class. All through the class the snow came down. I was dressed in a suit and nice shoes and was not looking forward to having to walk in that. Luckily I had my huge golf umbrella that would save my suit. The shoes would take a beating, though. About 6 inches of snow fell in the three hours that the class was in session. So I move my car over to the University Apartments and seek refuge inside Amy's place. I stayed ther over night. The next morning was very surreal. From the living room window we could see the campus, and the entire place was covered in two feet of snow. That was not the only thing I noticed, either. One of the trees was missing and every other one looked different some how. I had to get to my apartment. So I, still in my suit, and Amy exited the building through a door that could only open just far enough tyo let us out of it because the snow lay holding it shut. We began to wipe the two feet of snow off of her truck with our bare hands. The suit got wet, but luckily it was not wool, so nothing seriousely bad happened to it. We had qute a lot of trouble getting the car out of the parking space since the university always seems determined to plow every car in. We left the oddly different campus and prepared for a very interesting drive through town. Few things could have prepared us for what we saw on the ride home.

The update on the facebook thing I complained about

A while ago in time, but only like two posts ago, I decided to make facebook the subject of my talk.
Now facebook has changed just a bit, now EVERYONE can join facebook. Yay????

My plight is thus:

While I do support the fact that my sister as an attendee of a community college can now join facebook, I am rather disappointed that something which was exclusive to college students now has been opened up to the world. It might as well be another myspace (shudder at the thought of all the pedophiles hunting for your children). I enjoyed facebook for that reason. I wanted a place to stay in touch with my colleagues from school only. That's what made The Facebook different from Myspace, and was why I subscribed to one and not the other. That's really all I have to say on this subject. I know people will disagree with me on this, and they have every right to. I just thought that the fact that it was exclusive to that 30% or so of the population with higher ed made it special.

Arrivederla

The October Storm: Part I

Yo, peeps, Again, I have not really lived up to my promises. This blog is very thin and I have had it for almost an entire year, how sad. But, never fear, because I have again returned to speak about the flaws in our society. The Sweet home Middle school craft fair is coming up and I am sure I will find something there to entertain me. Also, I have enrolled in the new education in and through the arts program at the University at Buffalo. I will be receiving A proffesional Certification in Theatre Education as well as a Masters in Education. cool beans! I have also started relearning the French language. I have had considerable success with that, maybe that can take me places I have never been before.
So, story:
Living in Buffalo this past weekend proved to be quite a considerable test of will. Many poeple don't realize the magnitude of this storm. Every tree in Buffalo is destrotyed to some extent. most of them will likely die, and Buffalo will never be as green as it once was. It's enough to make any arborist at heart break into tears.
My thuraday started with an early rising to make an observation that my friend had set up for me in Rochester. At about 1:00, I decided that I had witnessed enough for that session, and left for Buffalo. I stopped at the rest stop and noticed the rain that had been falling was coming down quite slowly for rain. I then realized that it was snow. I laughed it off, stated "that's Buffalo for you" and made my way back to toward Buffalo once again. Little did I know that If I had waited until the end of the school day, I would have been stuck on the thruway for most of the rest of the day. And the snow still came down and developped a blanket over the entire region.
To Be Continued
'til next time,

Robert Tucker

I'm Back, with some common sense

Wow, How long has it been, almost half a year???? Does anyone ever notice that the days seem longer as the year gets older? I have been so incredibly busy over the last six months that I hardly have the time to report on it in one sitting. We should note that the exercise seems to have failed, but I will not give up hope. It's fun to document your experiences, and why not let others see them if they hold some sort of entertainment value? Exactly!

So, I'm back with some new fodder for the next few posts anyway.
OK, so today, I will say what no one in the world seems to have the courage to say.

Dan Rather is one of the best journalists who ever lived. CBS is wrong for canning him. For as long as I can remember, Dan Rather WAS CBS News!!!! He made a mistake, I'll give you that, but who is perfect, again? Nobody? That's what I thought. I have had a lot of people try to tell me the severity and complexity of what he did, and how it's more serious than I am making it out to be, but I just cannot concede that 40 years of journalism, including Watergate, Iraq War 1 AND 2, 9/11, and the last interview with President Saddam Hussein before the War, can be overshadowed by a misinformed news story which was probably his staff's responsibility to verify anyway. Why make him a scapegoat after experiencing all the ratings and viewers he attracted to the station.

He gave everything to that crappy station.

Dan Rather is an American Hero, CBS just isn't the same. I'm going to go watch Fox News...

Yo Ho peoples. I am back with the latest on this, my first smart parent search of the blog. This one takes place in Walt Disney World, Florida. As I neglected to mention in previous entries, because I have not written in this blog for what seems like an eternity, I spent Thanksgiving break at the super cool Walt Disney World Resort.

Now, I have frequented many theme parks in my day and have come to notice that these are the places parents bring their little children to shut them up. Nothing wrong with that, I love Disney World. Problem is, parents seem to lax on their responsibilities to their own child's or children's intelligence.
We all know that children love to ask questions. If they ask you something you don't know about, then say "I don't know" and shut the hell up. Unfortunately, many parents feel the need to answer their child's question no matter what, even if they are completely bogus answers. This results in the misguiding of a very receptive mind. In other words, this child is going to state this answer as fact in front of someone smarter and get the shit kicked out of him for being stupid. An appeal to Parents: If you don't know the answer, don't give an answer!!!!

There were so many examples at the park that they have all kind of melted together, I can't remember any single incident when this happened, but if one comes to my memory, then I will edit the post and surely share it with all of you.

Some parents will even volunteer stupid information without question:

Case in point: A mother (or Aunt I am not sure) starts bouncing her child on her leg as everyone waits in anticipation of Illuminations, the laser show that is presented at Epcot Center every evening. She is bouncing along to music coming from a nearby world showcase pavilion.

Necessary information:The 11 pavilions are aligned around a substantial lake within the park and include shops and rides and movies about the heritage of the country it represents. They surround the lake in the following order: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, Canada.

What Happened: This woman starts bouncing her child along to the beat of the music coming from the nearby pavilion. And says to the child "listen to the music! Do you hear that Music?" Now, here she could have stopped talking, but she volunteers this piece of information: "That's Moroccan Music!"

I turn and observe the pavilion from which the music is coming, because I detected some Parental stupidity in the area. Sure enough, my suspicions were correct. The music was playing in the Italian pavilion. Not only that, but it was clearly Italian Music! If I recall, it was very reminiscent of "funiculi, Funicula," but that is besides the point. She had no fricking clue what music was playing, and knowingly deceived this child by stating information that was not only false, but entirely ridiculous to the astute observer. We were at least a fifth of a mile away from the Moroccan pavilion, so no mistake could have been made.

But rarely, a parent will take the time to explain something to their child that they do know about, when asked.

Case in point: Fiber optics Father

Necessary Information: Under the Epcot Center landmark, Spaceship Earth, There are a number of stone walkway tiles that light up like someone spilt glitter on the ground and shone a light on them. This illusion is made with the use of fiber optics dried into the cement and lit from a light source beneath the ground.

What happened: As we were exiting the park, it was necessary for us to pass over these sparkling tiles. I overhear a child behind me ask, "Daddy how does the sidewalk light up like that?" I am shaking in my shoes waiting for the answer. "Please don't let him say magic, please don't let him say magic" I laboriously think. The father replies........"Fiber optics, son" My heart almost stopped, I knew what a rare occasion this was, so I had to listen more. "Fiber optics are a special type of glass or plastic that carry light...." etc. I almost turned around and shook his hand. I have not lost complete faith in the children of tomorrow, because this man showed me I could still put a little faith in the parents of today.

But, alas, this scenario is a rare one. But I urge you parents out there to follow this rule: Never expect your child not to understand a competent answer. Children are a lot smarter than they seem. And science has shown us that they are many times more receptive to new information than adults. So lets show them what we know and be honest about what knowledge you don't possess.

You Are Designer Panties

You demand the best, from head to toe.And your panties have to be pure couture, for your own luxury.Women feel like you're a worthy challenge, though you can be difficult to catch.You exude a polished, sexy vibe that tends to attract confident women.

What Kind of Panties Are You?

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictableYou're the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Sorry To my Beloved Fans

Hey there Blog fans, as I said this was a serious exercise on how good I would be at keeping an online journal...I appear to have not written in my blog in over a month. Unfortunately, school has got me drowning in assignments and tests, so don't expect to see anything new until I get my act together, or at least until the semester ends.

Up-coming:
Craft Fair Part Duex (Maybe)
Smart Parent Search (Trust me, a must read)
and more!!!!

ciao,
Roberto

Facebook FRAUD!!!

How come facebook says it serves every University and College in the United States while it continues to neglect our little friends in Community College. This is a whole higher education student group that is waiting for some friggin' recognition. While I was home for The holiday of Yom Kippur (which my University chooses to celebrate over, lets see... VETERANS DAY!(I should call the VFW) ) I convinced my sister to register on Thefacebook.com, a site that has worked wonders for me and my contacts, old and new. Alas, when she entered in her school E-mail, the system rejected it as invalid. I checked the list of schools and lo and behold No MVCC, HCCC, ECC, or any CC I can think of was present on these lists.

Screw you facebook... Don't claim that I have access to all persons enrolled in higher education if you choose to ignore the thousands of Community Colleges across the USA. I happen to think they deserve the same service we have. Do you think Community Colleges are inferior to other, more reputable schools? I disagree, one of the most difficult courses in which I have ever enrolled was a summer online English 102 course offered at Mohawk Valley Community College. Their sense of integrity is no less than that of Yale's or Harvard's as far as I'm concerned.

Just let me friend my own sister for god's sake...Love you, Bethany!

Rainy Day at the craft fair.

I definitely have to start writing responses on the same day I am responding to in the blog, but for now, too bad.

Saturday was on of my first totally school free days I have had since rehearsals for "Myths and Hymns" started. Me and my lovely counterpart Amy decided that the craft fair would be a pretty sweet place to go. Am I whipped, you ask? Probably, but don't know Craft fairs, you can find a lot of cool things. But we will get to those now...

So, I walk to the CRAFT FAIR and what is the first item I see for sale at one of the booths? Tupperware. "Odd," I think to myself, as tupperware is essentially not what I would call a craft. "There must be something special about them, maybe she carves stuff out of them or glues them together to make bat boxes or something... ...Nope, just tupperware!" This was the only thing this Miss Cleo look-alike was selling? Now, I highly doubt that she makes the stuff, because I watched Mister Rogers when I was young and I know how tupperware is made. One would need a very large industrial machine that presses and heats the plastic sheets simultaneously to form them into tupperware containers, but not just one of these machines. Two machines for each size container and it's matching lid are needed. I highly doubt she had those. Again, tupperware containers are useful for craft material storage, but this was the ONLY THING SHE WAS SELLING!

The next Item on our list are known belovingly as "Skittens." No, they have nothing to do with cats, my dear friends. These are the long awaited combination of a scarf and a set of mittens. They look something like this:

Okay, not only is this one of the stupidest ideas I have ever encountered. It also is damn funny. First flaw; design: the scarf segment goes around the back of your neck, yet isn't long enough to wrap around on full time, an essential thing that has been overlooked. Scarves are meant to keep the whole neck warm. Also it was so small that it held your arms in a sling like fashion suspended from you neck. This presents a conflict with any sort of strapped duffel bag, back pack, WINTER COATS, and the ability to enjoy life's conveniences in general. Also, the mitten segment was equipped with no elastic, so any heat you generate is swept away by the frigid air that is sure to get in.

Second major flaw; aesthetics: It's fleece, but it's butt ugly. This is something that your regular country 4-H Matron wouldn't wear because it has no stylistic features whatsoever.

I may update this post if I can remember more of the items I saw at the Sweet Home Middle School Craft fair. But now it is time for rehearsal.

On the Passing of Mentors

It occurred to me a few years ago that everyone we meet can change our lives. Whether you know them for years, or for the ten minutes you stood next to them in line at an amusement park. Reaching back into my childhood, there was always a strong example that I came up with:

Till our meeting theatre for me had just been a hobby. Everyone knew I was probably destined for ROTC or Engineering, like my father. I loved this hobby, however and was not about to give it up in concession to Chess club or something nerdy. This is the story of my experiences with a man who changed my life. This is my story of Donald Rafte.

I was an eleven year old rapscallion of a lad with a love for Theatre (Notice I spell it the educated way...) and Music. This love grew into a need to express it more often than twice a year in the local children's theatre productions. I had missed the Autumn auditions for the Musical "Hello Dolly" to be done at Rome Community Theatre. So, ever the timid boy I wasn't, I showed up at the first rehearsal with a recommendation from my friend, Todd Quick, (Who had done everything the right way, you know, like AUDITIONING!) and pretty much asked to be in the show. To my delight this gruff and expressive looking man with a Jersey accent accepted. He said he had heard a lot about my work in the children's shows and Summerstage. So I was in, and I enjoyed the experience thoroughly. Little did I know how much of a role this man would play in my life that very next summer.

I would describe Donald Rafte as a bit of a collector of talents. He advertised that he was directing a second show for his new theatre company, Broadway Bound Youth Theatre, and I auditioned to be in "Godspell." I just made the cut-off age, I believe it was 12 to 19, so I was one of the youngest members of the cast. Again, my friend Todd was also among the ranks. Others included an extremely talented girl named Heather, and a rather effeminate and portly boy named Chris, both from Vernon Verona Sherril High School. Two more Chris's from Holland Patent High School, and many others from High Schools all over the area: Elise, Erin, Sara, Philbert, etc. I was among one of the most talented cast of peers I would ever know. I still don't know how Donald managed to attract all of the potential performers he had, and I never will it seems.

To get to the point, we were rehearsing the final moments of the play inside a local Lutheran Church. For any of you unfamiliar with "Godspell" it is the scene where Jesus is tied to a fence and Crucified with the entire cast mourning at the foot of this same fence. It was here, like a sign from god, and it may have been that I discovered that theatre meant a lot more to me than I had realized. I can recall crying in a show for the first time ever, knowing when and where and how to cue them. (god knows I have since lost this ability) I remember that whatever the cue was the whole feeling was prompted by what Donald was saying. I would love to impart these words, but the script is gone from my head, and all that is left is the memory of that amazing realization...

"...I want to be a Theatre Artist when I grow up!" But not too hasty, young Robert. You have a lot to learn first...

Yet now I find myself looking back on it all. Finding valuable lessons learned from great people. It has been eight and a half years since that summer. And Myself and Donald had our encounters working both together and separately. I grew up, being schooled with his children, Megan and Matt, learning valuable lessons about integrity and character from my experiences with this man. I won't pretend that every moment I spent with him was a happy one. Assuredly, they were not. I realized, however that I still cared for him even after we grew out of friendship. I never condemned him and he never me. The great schism in the theatre community of Rome, NY found us on opposing sides, and had prompted us to keep our distance. After all, he had an infamous temper. But we still stayed friendly and I continue to this day to be friends with his son and daughter.

I discovered in Church some two years ago that Donald's years of smoking seemed to be catching up to him. He was an addict to the true sense, a stress smoker mostly. He was diagnosed with Lung Cancer and placed on chemotherapy, something I was all too familiar with as my own Grandfather passed away from the same dreadful disease. I had also realized that I had not seen him or even talked to him in at least a couple years. I made a pact with myself to visit him soon, to catch up on old times, and tell him how much he has affected my life.

Less than one year ago, he was diagnosed as terminal and put on Hospice care. I said to myself I will go see him soon with the same intentions. I had not done so the year before.

I don't know what in hell I was waiting for...

I never got the chance to tell him how much he affected me, or to thank him. I never got to clear the air of our own personal smoke.

Donald Rafte Passed Away on Monday, October 17, 2005 almost a year after he had been put on Hospice care. I had almost twice as much time to visit him than others. He lasted almost twice as long in Hospice as many others, or so it would seem to me. Me who just kept delaying.

Perhaps I thought he wouldn't die. Now, I have become all too familiar with childhood adults aging and passing away, but Donald was 52. I think that my poor childlike will was grasping to some small hope that he would one day leap out of bed, fully healed, exclaiming his ever jolly "Hokey Dokey Folks!" and go on living to direct another day. I thought I would have more time to tell him. But the fact of the matter is I didn't, and now I have to say it to a tombstone.

This is a very grim thought, I know. Yet if you learn anything from this post, learn not to wait until later. Because no matter how long you believe you have, God has his own plans. And you can't control Nature's tidings.

For now, Donald, May you Rest In Peace. God bless you Mrs. Rafte, Matt, and Megan.

Another day

An incredible day. I woke up with a sore throat and after taking a midterm exam and listening to a delightfully entertaining Polish accent for an hour and a half, I am back home nursing myself to health, hopefully. Predictions are bleak, however because Jack said that he was feeling the same way on Thursday before he got REALLY sick on Saturday. Shall I be so undone by these germs? We shall have to wait and see.

The Theatre History Test was so much easier than I had expected, at least it wasn't making my throat hurt drawing plots of roman theatre Architecture...

Ah The Most difficult, yet most important thing for a director is the management of time in plays.

Highlight of my Day: 3 Berry Blast smoothie from Orange Julius
Low point: Finishing the smoothie

Wow! I promise that these entries will get more entertaining. Just wait till I have another rehearsal for "Myths and Hymns." you know that show which is pretty much ready to open. Only we still have a month left to rehearse for it...yeeeaaaahhh...
Byes!

I have recently discovered that I have this disabling need to have an outlet for my life. I have decided to build this journal as an attempt at self-improvement. I will be writing mostly in response to my life's actions bringing to them perspective and clarity. Read along, and Hopefully we will both learn something about the great mysterys of life...

First day of musings/Life is busy

I woke up this morning and rose out of bed, then promptly walked over to my alarm clock which I keep across the room. After setting a new alarm for twenty five minutes later, I then turned right around, walked back to my bed, and slept for another glorious half an hour. I try to tell myself not to do this (I even keep the alarm clock across the room for this reason) but I constantly rationalize and configure ways to condense my morning routine so I can rest longer. This morning it was "Half you're shower time and skip breakfast!" A usual excuse, for a rather usual day...

My dreams, as much as I recall them had been like episodes of a gripping TV drama. I wanted so bad to make them come back for conclusion in that half hour, but It seems it wasn't meant to be. I have a regressive side like that. There are many things that have happened in my life which I yearn to live again. Hawaii in August of 2004, My family's yearly trips to Florida to visit my Grandma(88 and surely counting, We will have a huge party when she is 90!!!! It hurts me that these vacations became impossible when us kids started college, the vacations never lined up). Living with my grandmother in Queens, NY for a whole summer. (an explanation: My grandmother was born and grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Bayside, Queens shortly after my mother was born, when my grandfather died, My Grandmother and Great-Grandmother decided to escape the winter of the Northeast and spend them down in New Port Richey, Florida.) One whole summer, gaining perspective on life from a very wise woman while working a fruitless internship. These events in my life define who I am. Wow, that is a bit too heavy. Gotta lighten up. Time to complain, hopefully for entertainments sake.

Today I had another Mind-Body integration class, taught by the infamous Kristopher "Doc" Bosch. I genuinely love this class, and I love Doc, don't get me wrong. It's the people, who shall remain nameless, that continue to use this class as their own personal physical therapy session that irk me. Shut up and do Pilates like he says. It wasn't so bad today, but on another occasion Doc was distracted for about twenty minutes making a diagnosis for any of the jerks that complain of problems that have nothing to do with the exercises. He is being paid to teach us a discipline, and this just gets in the way.

But I let it all roll, besides, my ipod, like my friend's (editor of thespectrum.org) ipod only days before was looping "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder. Ah, Moog Synthesizers are wonderful...She is right, It's a groovy song. So even Physics 101 couldn't get me down today.

Highlight of my day: Strawberry fields salad for lunch, made for me by FSA, which apparently means campus dining, I don't know what the acronym actually stands for. I have also decided that instead of snacking unhealthily, I will try legumes (nuts) for a while.

So that is the first musing. My life is a busy one. Hopefully I can look back (there I go again, regressive; Bad Tucker!!) and find value in these memoirs, but for now, "Law and Order" and Theatre History test preparation are calling my name...

P.S. It is so cool to see people you are acquainted with on "Law and Order." Peace