Wednesday, July 21, 2021
1,095TH
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Luminous Improvisation - Subject: Bowling - Time: Unlimited - Number of Players: To Be Determined...!
A test of endurance, resilience - and creativity!
IT WAS AN *AUDITION*... sort of!
I made history, in effect, for all intents and purposes - by being there in what is to be the last ever such "training camp" session in the history of LA ROCAMBOLESQUE - aka PHANTASTICUS.
It took place at a "theater" that is truly not it at all - it is, in fact, an old factory subdivided into numerous locales uniformally used for arts and crafts!
Camp de recrutement de La Rocambolesque (division P) pour la saison 2008-2009 - wow, even the DIVISION seemed to be named after ME! (Clue: my last name starts with a P... You all thought it was P for Phantasticus, didn't ya? HA!)
I was the first one there too; and the first to leave too! I was in a hurry, see... More on that in a jiffy!
I got there real early and immediately established myself as a reliable player - the rock upon which the rest of the troupe could rely on - IF I would stick around and play along, that is!
But as it is, most members of the makeshift troupe (save for a precious few - whose names I already forgot! So much for the memory jog exercise we had, early on... Don't ask!) did not realize the HONOR they had to practice their acting skills alongside Luminous (\ô/) Luciano - for a six-hour long session, or whatever it was again... Of course, when one does not know who one is dealing with, it is easy to fall back upon the dreadful, wrongful "first impression" - and since I never smile, never bother to be cordial, since I am Luminous ON THE INSIDE whenever I dabble with social engagements of any sort - it can only be the damnable first impression that prevails, always. Too bad I am not more into customer services practices - eh? Oh wait - I am a certified pro in customer-pleasing, according to my colleagues and mentors--of-the-trade...! I forgot that!
Therefore... I am not forced to smile when I'm off-duty then!
;)
IT WAS AN *AUDITION*... sort of!
I made history, in effect, for all intents and purposes - by being there in what is to be the last ever such "training camp" session in the history of LA ROCAMBOLESQUE - aka PHANTASTICUS.
It took place at a "theater" that is truly not it at all - it is, in fact, an old factory subdivided into numerous locales uniformally used for arts and crafts!
Camp de recrutement de La Rocambolesque (division P) pour la saison 2008-2009 - wow, even the DIVISION seemed to be named after ME! (Clue: my last name starts with a P... You all thought it was P for Phantasticus, didn't ya? HA!)
I was the first one there too; and the first to leave too! I was in a hurry, see... More on that in a jiffy!
I got there real early and immediately established myself as a reliable player - the rock upon which the rest of the troupe could rely on - IF I would stick around and play along, that is!
But as it is, most members of the makeshift troupe (save for a precious few - whose names I already forgot! So much for the memory jog exercise we had, early on... Don't ask!) did not realize the HONOR they had to practice their acting skills alongside Luminous (\ô/) Luciano - for a six-hour long session, or whatever it was again... Of course, when one does not know who one is dealing with, it is easy to fall back upon the dreadful, wrongful "first impression" - and since I never smile, never bother to be cordial, since I am Luminous ON THE INSIDE whenever I dabble with social engagements of any sort - it can only be the damnable first impression that prevails, always. Too bad I am not more into customer services practices - eh? Oh wait - I am a certified pro in customer-pleasing, according to my colleagues and mentors--of-the-trade...! I forgot that!
Therefore... I am not forced to smile when I'm off-duty then!
;)
And I didn't - sure didn't! I stayed true to my luminous self; above such hypocrisy!
Thus, I spent hours improvising routines, sketches, acting as I always knew I had the NATURAL KNACK for! STONE-FACED! Showing emotion only when absolutely necessary - in order to convey the message, idea, twist necessary to make the acted-out storytelling flow to its inevitably stunning (if not completely luminous) conclusion!
Thus, I spent hours improvising routines, sketches, acting as I always knew I had the NATURAL KNACK for! STONE-FACED! Showing emotion only when absolutely necessary - in order to convey the message, idea, twist necessary to make the acted-out storytelling flow to its inevitably stunning (if not completely luminous) conclusion!
It would have been completely luminous if I had had total creative control - of course!
My first words to the head of La Rocambolesque were indeed this: "I thought I'd try this NOW, as I didn't do it earlier in life, when I was YOUNGER... but, this, will be BETTER!"
When I said that, I was convinced that I'd be the older gent there, of course. Much to my surprise (chagrin, even?) there was a stuffy older gal there (such a bad actress too) and an older guy as well; with the cliché "grandpa look" too! During a sketch in which we were all playing the parts of TODDLERS, I couldn't resist temptation and turned towards that scruffy old guy and shouted "DADA!"
Not that the old geiser could hold a candle to my saintly father - not ever, not in gazillion years...
Next were more interesting sketches in which I got to play the hard-as-nails parts, always - getting typecast already, was I? Hey, I like my Terminator look and have worked on it for YEARS now! ;)
So, no - I do not mind!
My final performance of the day was the part of a bitter head of family, stuck with a high strung wife, crybaby daughter and "rebel-without-much-of-a-cause" teenaged son, freshly returned from his runaway period!
I directed it too!
Ah - I'm such a natural for this sort of thing!
Maybe I'll stick with it, yet...?
So I spend an extenuating day like this, swiftly tossing aside all of my reserve...
And then, as if that wasn't enough, I went on to participate in the bowling event organized by a colleague, with the goal being to cement team spirit - "FOR THE (overall) TEAM" - rrrrright.
What an HUMBLING experience that was, TOO!
I wind up captaining a team that has two players who just don't listen to my wise bits of advice... a young gun who mysteriously misfires... and my good old pal of always, who sucks at bowling! Yet, he came out of this mess with a 10 dollar gift certificate - as the consolation prize awarded to the team with the lowest score went to HIM, the chap who is most probably the chief reason we averaged such a lowly score in the first place!
Logical. Predictable, too!
Me, I did pretty good (with scores of 118, 112 and 97, at first - hey, I was rusty!) and yet, as the de facto captain of the team, it is unofficially pinned on ME that the team averaged the lowest totals of the four hastily put together teams there, as it is hence and forevermore to be referred to as "Luciano's team"...
Otherwise, I would've picked at least one of the two "seasoned pros" available to draft - having a rivalry within the team wouldn't have mattered much, as long as the team averages a lot of points! In fact, with someone "pushing" me right from the onset, it would have only bettered my performance, also!
Needless to say, I wasn't exactly "pushed" (nor challenged, quite frankly! *lol* I jest...!) by good ol' pal Mike... or the aforementioned fine young man who had an "off-night"... nor the workhorse of the company... much less his girlfriend... and... that's it!
(Geewhiz - that really was our team! No wonder we lost! *LOL* But I am digressing - again.)
But back to the IMPROV now...
Thanks for the job offer - although the job is NOT a job in the traditional sense of the word - at all...
Thanks for the opportunity to make a splash on the artistic scene AT LONG LAST - as I know it fully well to be my God-given RIGHT! I have all the God-given talent, intuition and artistic sense FOR IT... AND THEN SOME!
Thanks for the nod of approval, Rémi B. and the Rocambolesque peeps...
Thanks -
but it is likely no thanks.
+++
Post-Scriptum:
It truly was your honor and privilege
to act alongside my person - as it was my pleasure
to act alongside a select number of you...!
I was your Roger Lebel... your Septimiu Sever...
(although, I am sure, the old crusty guy fashioned himself as the latter - I am sure of it!)
I was your Jean-Louis Millette
Your Philippe Noiret!
Your Leo McKern!
Your OLIVER REED!
And some of you simply did not realize it...!
Well, Rémi did!
;)
My first words to the head of La Rocambolesque were indeed this: "I thought I'd try this NOW, as I didn't do it earlier in life, when I was YOUNGER... but, this, will be BETTER!"
When I said that, I was convinced that I'd be the older gent there, of course. Much to my surprise (chagrin, even?) there was a stuffy older gal there (such a bad actress too) and an older guy as well; with the cliché "grandpa look" too! During a sketch in which we were all playing the parts of TODDLERS, I couldn't resist temptation and turned towards that scruffy old guy and shouted "DADA!"
Not that the old geiser could hold a candle to my saintly father - not ever, not in gazillion years...
Next were more interesting sketches in which I got to play the hard-as-nails parts, always - getting typecast already, was I? Hey, I like my Terminator look and have worked on it for YEARS now! ;)
So, no - I do not mind!
My final performance of the day was the part of a bitter head of family, stuck with a high strung wife, crybaby daughter and "rebel-without-much-of-a-cause" teenaged son, freshly returned from his runaway period!
I directed it too!
Ah - I'm such a natural for this sort of thing!
Maybe I'll stick with it, yet...?
So I spend an extenuating day like this, swiftly tossing aside all of my reserve...
And then, as if that wasn't enough, I went on to participate in the bowling event organized by a colleague, with the goal being to cement team spirit - "FOR THE (overall) TEAM" - rrrrright.
What an HUMBLING experience that was, TOO!
I wind up captaining a team that has two players who just don't listen to my wise bits of advice... a young gun who mysteriously misfires... and my good old pal of always, who sucks at bowling! Yet, he came out of this mess with a 10 dollar gift certificate - as the consolation prize awarded to the team with the lowest score went to HIM, the chap who is most probably the chief reason we averaged such a lowly score in the first place!
Logical. Predictable, too!
Me, I did pretty good (with scores of 118, 112 and 97, at first - hey, I was rusty!) and yet, as the de facto captain of the team, it is unofficially pinned on ME that the team averaged the lowest totals of the four hastily put together teams there, as it is hence and forevermore to be referred to as "Luciano's team"...
Grrrrrrr!
Yet, truth was, I didn't even get to pick my team!!!
Otherwise, I would've picked at least one of the two "seasoned pros" available to draft - having a rivalry within the team wouldn't have mattered much, as long as the team averages a lot of points! In fact, with someone "pushing" me right from the onset, it would have only bettered my performance, also!
Needless to say, I wasn't exactly "pushed" (nor challenged, quite frankly! *lol* I jest...!) by good ol' pal Mike... or the aforementioned fine young man who had an "off-night"... nor the workhorse of the company... much less his girlfriend... and... that's it!
(Geewhiz - that really was our team! No wonder we lost! *LOL* But I am digressing - again.)
But back to the IMPROV now...
Thanks for the job offer - although the job is NOT a job in the traditional sense of the word - at all...
Thanks for the opportunity to make a splash on the artistic scene AT LONG LAST - as I know it fully well to be my God-given RIGHT! I have all the God-given talent, intuition and artistic sense FOR IT... AND THEN SOME!
Thanks for the nod of approval, Rémi B. and the Rocambolesque peeps...
Thanks -
but it is likely no thanks.
+++
Post-Scriptum:
It truly was your honor and privilege
to act alongside my person - as it was my pleasure
to act alongside a select number of you...!
I was your Roger Lebel... your Septimiu Sever...
(although, I am sure, the old crusty guy fashioned himself as the latter - I am sure of it!)
I was your Jean-Louis Millette
Your Philippe Noiret!
Your Leo McKern!
Your OLIVER REED!
And some of you simply did not realize it...!
Well, Rémi did!
;)
KEY WORD: ROCAMBOLESQUE
any wonder I chose not to
continue partaking of
any more of that...???
ROCAMBOLESQUE
is not for me!
PICTURESQUE
is!
AMEN!
Labels: gratitude, Luciano's, Luminous anger, luminous choices, Luminous News, Pundit Blogger Me
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Thursday, August 10, 2006
It Is Not To Flaunt It Nor To Vaunt - But I Did Tell You So!!!
It has been YEARS that I have told Montreal-area authorities, accursed landlords (two in particular, who "presided" in pathetic fashion in the building where my dear recently-departed father used to reside and could have easily presided if he had wanted to do so) and the damnable smokers themselves with whom I had length feuds, quarrels and engueulades; APARTMENT BUILDINGS SHOULD BE EXCEPTIONS - YOU WANT TO SMOKE IN "YOUR HOME" - OWN IT AND CROAK IN IT - YOU FILTHY BASTARDS! DO NOT POLLUTE THE AIR OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AND FORCE THEM TO DIE WITH YOU - VILE CREEPS!
And NOW, finally, they have listened to me and done as I would have done ALL ALONG, SINCE 1996! A decade's nothing to wait for the right thing to come to pass, eh? WRONG. SECOND-HAND SMOKE IS EVEN MORE LETHAL THAN THE NASTY HABIT ITSELF! IT IS BORDERLINE MURDER! AND NON-SMOKERS SHOULD TAKE IT ON THE CHIN - OR, REALLY, ON THE LUNGS - AND NOT DO A SINGLE THING ABOUT IT? WHAT FOR? TO RESPECT THE PATHETIC SMOKER THAT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO WITH HIS OR HER TEN FINGERS ALL DAY LONG, EXCEPT TO LIGHT UP? TO RESPECT THAT INANE CREATURE'S PRIVACY AND LAIR?
In two words: NO WAY! Not under certain conditions; the smoker can only be allowed to endanger HIMSELF AND ONLY HIMSELF while exposing all to his noxious fumes would be tolerated ONLY IF OTHERS ARE DUMB ENOUGH TO WANT IT THAT WAY! Whether it is a public place or any kind of home DOES NOT MATTER ONE BIT AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AT ALL! PUBLIC HEALTH AND LIVES ARE WHAT TRULY MATTERS - NOT ANYTHING ELSE!
In this case, the actual ruling is "Depuis le 31 mai, la loi antitabac interdit aux résidants d’un immeuble de plus de six logements de fumer dans les espaces communs. La loi ne s’applique pas aux espaces privés" - which means that, since May 31st, the new anti-tobacco laws forbid smoking to residents of a building of more than six apartments in the "common space" - lobby, hallways, stairways and such...
However, this made out to be "scandalous" headline addresses another reality - a new reality that has dawned at long last! The headline is written as if to suggest that they are saying "oh-my-God, they want to forbid people from smoking in their own apartment! This is draconian! This is Orwellian! This is nazism! This is a scandal and a breach of privacy!" Well - no it isn't! Smoking is nothing short than a public menace! So are the other forms of pollution that mankind has invented over time, but that is not the focus right now... This is the focus: «plusieurs propriétaires nous demandent comment s’y prendre légalement pour inclure au bail des clauses pour empêcher des locataires de fumer dans leur appartement. C’est un phénomène récent», which is, in English words, the tendency nowadays to see landlords ask the Rental Board how to proceed to make it a part of the lease such a clause as to prevent tenants from smoking in the apartment! Some pundits will say "they pay the rent, they can do whatever they want in there" - and that, again, IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL. Any tenant that ever was, is or will be KNOWS that there are rules and a line of conduct to observe. One more clause should not be too much, I would think, especially in buildings that have little or nothing in terms of a ventilation system!
As the most sensible landlords that I ever saw noted, "smoking disturbs other tenants and it even damages the building, in the long run. After two short years, the scent has penetrated the walls and only repainting can mask the problem."
Luckily, for now, the flawed laws of said Board are not about to take away the right of these few sensible landlords and their *good* tenants to BREATHE CLEAN AIR...
«Pour l’instant, rien dans la jurisprudence n’empêche les propriétaires d’inscrire une clause antifumée», confirmed a Rental Board representative. However, in order to be able to demand such a "sacrifice" from their tenants, the landlord has to ask for that non-smoking favor when the lease is signed. And it has to be all in written, of course. Such an agreement will be hard to come by, much less to enforce if it is a rule set against a contingent of known smokers that occupy the building and resent such a restraint. Silly tenant associations are actually lamenting now that this has gone too far, that it is a "witch hunt for smokers" instead of merely "ridding themselves of the nauseating smoke"... Hey, dimwits, one cannot get rid of the smoke without putting out the damn fire first! Smoke is out of public places - but how much time does the average person spend in a shopping mall on a normal day, eh? Minutes, maybe an hour at the most? So, it could be up to 23 hours spent at home, in the case of, say, a retiree with asthma or bronchitis! If that person lives in an apartment building filled with smoking tenants, what good is that "public ban on smoking" - EH?!? One has to deny himself the pleasurable usage of their home because thy neighbors are puffing it up like there was no tomorrow (and there isn't, for them) in theirs? That is absurd.
For once, I have to side with the landlords' "association des propriétaires" when they say that «certains locataires sont plus sensibles (how considerate of them to put the tenants first!) à la fumée, le marché change (it sure does) et il y a une demande (if there was no demand for it, they'd probably wouldn't bother either... with a few exceptions, sure) pour des logements sans fumée. Il y a de plus en plus de gens qui souffrent (and landlords care so much when their tenants suffer, yes) d’asthme. Le tabac laisse des traces et des odeurs (that it sure does) dans un appartement» - and in any other sort of home too, don't forget nor omit that!
It isn't just good for "more than six" apartment buildings either! Duplex owners who will rent to strangers their "second half" have a right to demand that these strangers do not pollute their property's atmosphere!! Certain housing structures are older than others too, therefore the stench of tobacco can spread much faster to the entire structure and THAT should NEVER be tolerated - EVER. Just because your neighbor enjoys stinking up the place does not mean that you should too! Renting a home is not synonymous with putting up with your neighbours' crap!
Nor is it synonymous with sharing his or her fate and DYING A SLOW ASPHYXIATING DEATH WITH HIM OR HER!
Labels: Luminous anger, Pimentel le Pugiliste, Pundit Blogger Me
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Thursday, July 20, 2006
No blogging today!
Labels: Boardman quote, Captain, Glorious, Luminous anger, music video
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