And the answer to the quiz is......

All these famous Americans changed their names. They are all Jewish and had more Jewish sounding names which were deemed inappropriate for show business.

Words words words.

A random event today; I addressed a parcel to someone who purchased my old computer keyboard.
Not peculiar in itself, except the keyboard has Arabic keys, and the parcel was addressed to someone living on a glacier.
I kid you not.
Is there anyone out there who can come up with a connection - I am baffled?

Never mind three buses in a row.

Gosh, but things come in along in groups!
The first day of the week, my beloved pranged the boot of the car, reversing out of the garage.
Then we were told that our favourite cat may have a long term illness; it is confirmed he does. Medication for the rest of his life.
Then it would appear the company I resigned from and left two weeks ago is going into receivership. A lot of people I care about will lose their jobs, and I may not be getting my last pay cheque.
Then our plumbing sprung a leak.
I’m looking forward to a hazard free Wednesday.

Early impressions - Snow at Argenteuil

Today we visited the “Monet and Impressionists” exhibition at our National Museum, Te Papa. There are over one $1 billion’s worth of paintings on display including Cezanne, Sisley, Degas, Millet and Manet. It was impressive in its scope and had been displayed very well.
When I thought really hard, I realised it was over 12 years since I looked at an Impressionist painting. In 1996, I was at the Hermitage in Russia for the second time and visited a number of museums in Vienna, as I was living in a small town close by. Since teenage years I had taken every opportunity to see them, and until my mid twenties was restricted to the National Gallery in London. Then I hit Paris with a vengeance, followed by Amsterdam.
I have come to the conclusion that I went through an Impressionist phase, but came through to the other side being hungry instead for bold lines, definition, sharp focus and less subtlety. I appreciate the genius, revel in the colours, but in short, I no longer “do” blur.
I have since progressed from Chagall and Klee to Klimt, Mondrian, Modigliani and Kandinsky.
So, whilst I enjoyed a trip down the emotional memory lane of early adulthood, I am looking forward to other 20th century artists appearing in the S. Hemisphere.

Minding your prepositions

Today, I dropped in at my favourite butcher’s shop, in the suburb where we used to live. As I walked through the door, I noticed a serious difference. The walls had all been repainted, there was a much bigger selection of meat, and generally the place looked spruced up and more modern.
Imagine my surprise when the chap who came in to serve me was my butcher from the suburb where I now live.
“Aren’t you the butcher from T?” I asked.
He laughed “That’s me – I’ve just bought the place, but Bernie is staying on as Master Butcher.”
I am pleased for Bernie, as he looked a bit strained the last time I visited. Now he can enjoy his trade, without all the hassles of running the business too.
It was only as I left that I realised how important prepositions are. I am so relieved that I didn’t accidentally use the word “of” instead of “from”. It would have converted a perfectly nice Kiwi bloke into a mass murderer.
Use the proposition “of” and you have the perpetrator of a war crime; “The Butcher of Belgrade/Belsen” etc.
Thankfully “from” easily came from my lips and the worst crime the new occupant can be accused of is making sausages containing ginger.

What's in a name

OK, a quiz. What do the following people have in common, apart from the fact that they are American:

Woody Allen
Tony Curtis
Kirk Douglas
Jerry Lewis
Lauren Bacall
Bob Dylan
Harry Houdini

Economic Woes