In the meantime

I have worked my self into a fatigue that feels like jet lag, only much worse. The work situation has reversed itself. It's now going well. We finished and previewed with some of the highest numbers I have seen in a long time. This makes all parties giddy. I am in the strangest of moods. I'm so tired I feel as if I am hallucinating. I ought not be allowed to drive. I find myself weeping at movies like Spanglish, so you know there is something very, very wrong with me. Did you know that Paz Vega got an "Introducing" credit for Spanglish, despite it being her 13th film. (this from imdb) I can't describe quite how I feel about some filmmakers. It's not that I hate them, it's that I feel they are blinded by their own wealth and cleverness. But that still doesn't nail the word that describes a person whose point of view appears to be staunchly behind some very good cause but - only if the people inside their worldview fit the cause they are parading. Does that make sense? I'm too tired to really think this one through. I know there are writers who can nail this for me and I would appreciate it if they would give me the word that describes what I am trying to say. Is it a combination between smug and aloof? Not quite.

The doctor says I am exhausted. I could have told him that. He gave me a lunestra. Isn't that a wonderful sounding drug? It didn't work but I sure do like the way it rolls off the tongue.

BTW - Will, I uploaded a photo of Paz just because it was the right thing to do..... She really does look like she can play the part of a hard working maid, doesn't she?
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in the meantime here is another Gershon Winkler Newsletter that came yesterday.

A TEACHING STORY WITH YOUR OWN MORAL...
The Old Man With the Long White Beard
By Gershon Winkler

Once upon a time lived a wise old sage whose beard was so long it wrapped itself all around the planet, and everyone in the world, animals, people, all walked softly upon the earth thanks to the softness of this old man's very very long beard.

Of course, the only one who was not feeling so comfortable -- the only only one -- was this old man himself, feeling the steps of all the creatures who were busily and happily stomping all over his beard, some of them even driving heavy trucks on his beard. So while everyone in the world was happy because of the softness of being on the earth, the man whose beard was creating all this joyfulness was very unhappy and constantly in pain. The more painful it got, the more he felt like simply yanking it from underneath everyone and withdrawing his beard from across the face of the earth. But, alas, it was now too late for that kind of action, because he was now too old and therefore too weak, and no longer possessed the strength to yank his beard from under-neath all that weight. And so he prayed and prayed to Creator for help, but no response.

Then one day, he had a vision in which Creator appeared to him.

"You," said the old man, "it's about frigging time you came to me in a vision. Where the hell have you been all these years? Have you any idea what I've been through? While you're basking in the bliss of angelic concerts and all that divine-light bullshit, I've been down here suffering my ass off. I mean my beard."

Creator smiled and said gently: "Kaputch'nik, why don't you simply pull your beard from under the feet of everyone, and reclaim it again as your own?"

The old man said: "You know damn well why I haven't done that. I am too old, not strong enough to yank it from under all that weight that walks and drives upon my beard across your pathetic world!"

Creator chuckled and said even more gently: "Well, I'll tell you what. I will perform a miracle for you and give you supernatural strength to enable you to do just that."

And so Creator blew a strong spirit into the old man and he regained the strength of his youth, and then some. The old man
grabbed his beard firmly at the chin, took a deep deep breath, counted to 3, and gave a huge yank and his beard withdrew from under the feet and wheels and structures across the face of the earth, throwing everyone and everything into the air and creating havoc and destruction worldwide.

Now the old man was so very happy. He felt no more pain in his chin from all that pressure that had been tugging at his beard all these years. He felt free and filled with the joy of relief, and danced about in celebration. He folded up his beard and took a long walk across the earth, something he had not been able to do all these years due to his trapped beard. But what he saw on his walkabout began to depress him: people everywhere were sad, many of them angry, some of them beginning to even fight one another and yell at one another and argue over the tiniest things. All because there was no more softness on the earth, the old man having pulled his beard from underneath..

The more the old man walked about, trying to enjoy his newfound freedom, the more sadness and anger he saw wherever he went. Little by little, he began to feel saddened by this, in fact soon he became downright depressed. In fact, soon he began to feel even more unhappy than he had felt during all those years when everyone in the world was stomping all over his beard.

Arriving home, he realized that he was in far more pain in his heart than he had once felt in his chin. And so once again he prayed and prayed, but no response.

Then one day, Creator appeared to him in the middle of a sweet, pleasurable dream. (Portnoy guesses it was Paz Vega)

"Damn!" the old man yelled, "I'm about to enjoy something I haven't enjoyed in centuries! And NOW you appear to me? Can't you do better timing than that? I don't believe this!"

Creator smiled and said gently: "Why are you so sensitive lately? I thought you'd be happier by now, having retrieved your beard and freed yourself."

The old man said: "Yes, true I am freed up now, but the suffering that has resulted around the world by the absence of my beard has caused me greater pain in my heart than the pain I once had in my chin. And I am at a loss about what to do."

Creator chuckled and said gently: "Why don't you simply spread your beard across the world again so that all might walk in softness once more?"

The old man said: "But then I will be trapped again and in constant pain in my chin!"

Creator laughed and said gently: "You could spread your beard across the world again, and then shave. That way, not only will everyone be in joy again, but so will you, because you will be freed of your beard and be able to walk around to observe the joy and join with the people's happiness yourself."

The old man said: "That is a wise idea, Creator. But, alas, I lack the strength to throw my beard across the planet again."

Creator then blew fresh power into the old man so that he regained for the moment enough strength to throw his beard out, which he did, spreading it neatly across the entire globe. Instantly, the world became a happier place again. The old man then shaved his beard off of his chin and was freed to wander the planet all the days of his life, smiling with joy at the sight of all the happiness and friendliness that now filled the earth once again.

And he, and everyone else, lived happily ever after.

The End