Philip Spiess

To Mr. Thomas Lounds, Jr.:

In your Post # 3832, you mention your uncle "Cat-tail" blocking (I think) police on a Newport (Ky.) bridge (I assume this is the Central Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River from Newport to Cincinnati), in order to prevent them from stopping the transport of illicit alcohol form Kentucky to Cincinnati.  How apropos!  The opening scene in chapter 3, "Birth of a Bootlegger," in Bob Batchelor's book about George Remus, The Bourbon King (mentioned just above), opens with just such a scene, apparently on the Cincinnati Suspension Bridge.  It makes you wonder how many such scenes took place during the years of Prohibition!  (The book also explains that Remus's "Death Valley Farm" in the Western Hills off of Queen City Avenue was so-named because of the shoot-outs with rival gangs trying to rob the Remus operation of valuable pure Kentucky Bourbon stock, that the Farm supplied high-class liquor to Clifton and Indian Hill, and that numerous local officials, from low to high, were in on the "take," i.e., bribe -- either receiving money or bottles of really good Prohibition liquor.  Remus was famous for the purity and high quality of his product, one straight from the formerly legal manufacturers in Kentucky.) 

Jerry Ochs

Philip Spiess

Oh, god! I loved Peter Sellers!  Beginning with The Mouse That Roared (1959), where I was taken with his playing three roles (including the Grand Duchess of Fenwick, a take-off on Queen Victoria, one of my idols), and the fact that the movie itself broke so many Hollywood traditions (including the symbol of Columbia Pictures fleeing her perch at the beginning of the film, and the setting off of the atomic bomb), and right on through all of the real "Pink Panther" films (I nearly died on my honeymoon, laughing so hard at the "Thar she blows!" scene in The Revenge of the Pink Panther, 1978, that I fell into the aisle of the theater), to his final film, Being There (1979), where Sellers transcended all of his previous roles.  It was during our viewing of this film that the vision of the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina (being the central scene of much of the movie), came into view, when a father and son in front of us in the theater (apparently "rubes," given their accents), spoke up:  "Why, I don't know that place a'tall!  Is it anywhere here around Washington?"  (This was what the movie led you to believe.)  "I can't think it is -- but I guess it must be!"  We were tempted to tell them what it was, and where it was, but somehow it fit in better with the film to just let them roll on in their privileged ignorance.

Paul Simons

Another Peter Sellers favorite scene, with the added bonus of John Cleese:

Paul Simons

Another favorite Peter Sellers scene. This one is strangely very relevant right now!!

Stephen (Steve) Dixon

Phil,

Have you seen the Peter Sellers film The Bobo?

I don't think it got wide circulation, and it is not one that gets much mention. nevertheless, it is hilarious.

"In my village, a man could get a hernia lifting fifty pesetas of cheese!"

Philip Spiess

Stephen:

No, I haven't seen The Bobo (1967); at first, I thought perhaps I had, but I was thinking of After the Fox (1966), which as I recall, was a rather strange movie and not, I felt, up to what I considered Sellers' standards.  (And isn't it curious that one of the three roles which Peter Sellers played in The Mouse That Roared, 1959, namely, the Prime Minister of Grand Fenwick, was continually called by the Grand Dutchess, Gloriana XII, another role which Sellers played, by her favorite nickname for him, "Bobo"?)

Jerry Ochs

The turbulent private life of Peter Sellers raises the question of judging the artist along with judging the art.  Sellers was incredibly cruel to his children and many wives, he often tried to get fellow actors or directors fired, and he failed to visit his dying mother in the hospital.  There are a number of men with nasty personalities who make great music or films or art.  Where do you draw the line?

Philip Spiess

I tried drawing the line, but I'm not a very good artist.

On the other hand (maybe I should try to draw with that hand), one of my cultural heroes is Richard Wagner, who was a totally despicable individual from all accounts receivable; who demanded everything of everybody; who nearly bankrupted the state of Bavaria by his monetary demands on its ruler, "Mad" King Ludwig II, of the House of Wittelsbach; who was anti-Semitic, although his favorite -- and the best -- conductors working under him were Jewish; who stole the young wife (Liszt's daughter) away from his principal conductor, Hans von Bulow, causing von Bulow, Liszt, and Cosima (the daughter and wife) to adore him faithfully the rest of their lives; who was banned politically for years in the German states and who is today a cultural hero there; whose early operas were trounced in Paris, yet that is where they had their first great successes; at whose feet the great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche first worshipped as a young lad, then later threw him over when he realized what a cad Wagner was (and then Nietzsche promptly went mad); whose legacy, thanks to his philosophy and offspring, was a virulent form of Nazi supernationalism, yet he is culturally revered in most Western capitals today -- I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Then there was that drunken sot and penniless ne'er-do-well, Edgar Allan Poe. . . .

Or the lascivious Charles Chaplin, lusting after under-age maidens. . . .

And hmm.  I just read this line in the book I'm currently reading:  "'Funny where people draw the line when it comes to their morality, isn't it?'"

Jerry Ochs

Another sad sign of the times, said some old codger.

https://www.duffelblog.com/2019/09/air-force-testing-vegan-napalm/

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Wishing all the Jewish members of the Class of 1964 a happy, healthy, prosperous and fruitful New Year. May you realize all your dreams!

From Modi'in Israel, halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where 50% of the area in the city's limits are large greenspaces.

Jeff Daum

Thank you Judy, L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem

Paul Simons

Jerry Ochs

I, an atheist, am fascinated by the nitty gritty of religious practices.   When I visited a web site to get a better understanding of Yom Kippur, I read the following.

How: For nearly 26 hours we “afflict our souls”: we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or apply lotions or creams, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from marital relations. Instead, we spend the day in synagogue, praying for forgiveness.

I get everything but the leather footwear.  Does anybody know how that slipped in?

Paul Simons

Jerry this is something I can possibly clarify for you. The part about "leather footwear" was added by the Talmudic scholar Merle Haggard, and it is included in the song "Okie From Muskogee". The full citation is "Leather boots are style for manly footwear/Greek and Roman sandals won't be seen". Certainly, a line about "manly footwear" is one of the most beautiful, roamntic, and evocative in all of vocal music. Obviously Rabbi Haggard would also be well versed in the footwear of the Greerks and Romans of the ancient Mediterranean world - or he wouldn't have talked about it.

Paul Simons

Gail Weintraub (Stern)

I just received this timely message from my Sun Valley, Idaho rabbi:

According to Jewish tradition, Jews are buried in a simple white shroud. Thus, wearing white on Yom Kippur serves as a reminder of our mortality, as well as our hope that we emulate the angels, who are said to be made of white light. We also wish to purify ourselves for the hard work of atonement, forgiveness and hope. 

To better focus on the day's meaning, some Jews refrain from wearing leather, a symbol of luxury. We all stand equal before God at this time and our clothing reflects this as well.

Philip Spiess

Gail, thank you for your comment.  As a Protestant Christian (Presbyterian) who is currently an Elder in his church constantly (well, every Sunday, it seems -- God, there is no let up!) lecturing on church history (that, of course, includes the Old Testament, and therefore Jewish tradition), I knew about the burials in simple white shrouds, but I did not know of the connection to Yom Kippur.

As to leather being a symbol of luxury, I can see that in the abstract, but in ancient times in the Middle East, didn't almost everyone wear sandals (or did the poorer ones go barefoot)?

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

I went to the Chabad site online to read up about Yom Kippur, although from my early life with my family, I remember the "rules" in general. But I was surprised to read that a leather belt or leather in clothing or a hat is perfectly fine. For some reason, which was not explained, it's only leather footwear that is forbidden on Yom Kippur for the observant.

One is not allowed to carry anything, so if a mother had to bring her infant with her to services, she had to figure out a way to "wear" the baby.... I guess one of those wraparound snuggies would do it.

Every Sabbath and holiday, I remember my very Orthodox grandmother carefully tearing off toilet paper in advance, since tearing is forbidden as much as cutting could be, as "work". A lot of rules!

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

No driving or riding, no smoking, no writing......, no turning on or off lights, no turning on or off ANY electrical doodad whatsoever..... 

Paul Simons

Philip Spiess

Judy:  If I understand you correctly (and I now understand Gail's comment better), the proscription against leather is for footwear, and on Yom Kippur only?

Judy, again:  If you're not allowed to "carry" anything, aren't you technically "carrying" the clothes you are wearing?  [Hey, everybody:  this is not Spiess in his comic or derisive mode, this is Spiess in his scholarly mode, hoping to learn and understand -- even, OMG!, as a septuagenarian!]

And very wise your grandmother was, Judy, about the toilet paper.  As a nationally known historian of the bathroom (which I've noted numerous times on this Forum), toilet paper and its uses (such as teenagers throwing it up into trees) interests me.  Fortunately for your Orthodox grandmother, if she went back far enough in age, she wouldn't have been worrying about using torn paper in the old wooden privy; she would have been using retired and split corncobs (well stacked up, no doubt, ahead of the Sabbath), or, slightly later, the pages of the ubiquitous Sears & Roebuck catalogue (yes, this would have been torn paper).  The use of the Sears & Roebuck catalogue pages for posterior hygienic purposes declined swiftly after Sears & Roebuck introduced color pages into its catalogue (they were too slick for good traction and adherence).

Jerry Ochs

Staying with the subject of religious practices, I have noticed that a number of religions favor the color white, fire in various forms, and alcoholic beverages.  The leather footwear still stumps me.

Dale Gieringer

 Judy -  

 I assume that no writing means no IPhone or tablet use as well?  And can holy scriptures be downloaded from the internet (if not, what about a bot to do it automatically)?

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

It amuses me that I, now a pretty secular Jew, have apparently become the rabbi of the forum, but here goes:

Paul: Medicine must be taken as usual, whether pills or injection. Sex is considered pleasurable, even among the most Orthodox. On Yom Kippur, we are not supposed to "enjoy ourselves". {Keep those eyebrows down, everyone} Doctors, nurses, technicians etc. all work on Yom Kippur as well as on Sabbath. Above all, in Jewish law, is "pikuach nefesh" - to save a soul, literally, but meaning to save a life. When you save one life, you save every life yet to be born.

Phil: Right. No leather footwear on Yom Kippur only. Clothes are worn, not carried. Different words in English as well as Hebrew, and not even the most didactic Jewish master scholar of "pilpul" will argue your case. Grandma's grandma probably used old newspapers for toilet paper; earlier than that, I would guess leaves.....picked ahead, of course.

Jerry: On Yom Kippur, we are supposed to be humble. Leather footwear was considered ostentacious. We are also forbidden to "adorn" ourselves with gold on Yom Kippur. Silver is not forbidden, we are told because the "Golden Calf" back in Moses's time was gold, not any other metal. What stumps me personally, is that leather is not forbidden in a belt or hat or anything else worn. Only footwear.....

Dale: All writing is forbidden on Yom Kippur. Writing, driving, tearing, cutting are all considered "work", and all forms of work for everyone are forbidden, except, again, for saving a life.

No one asked, but shaving is also forbidden, guys.

Summing up: No work. No pleasure. Be humble. Wear gym shoes. Be grubby.

Gail is much more spiritual than I. How did I do, Gail? :-)