Lurie column June 29- Headlines Echo Piper and Pirates

Leib Lurie�s Column for TDN: To run WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 

TITLE: Today's Headlines Echo Piper and Pirates

Today the Children;s Musical Theatre will perform the Pied Piper of Hamelin at the Barn in the Park Theatre opposite Hobart Arena. Friday, the Theatre will present The Comic Operetta Pirates of Penzance featuring a score of duty, love, respect for orphans, and patriotism above all else. Monday our country will celebrate July 4^th- Independence Day.

Three events with interwoven similarities.

The Pied Piper retells a story of a town beset with a terrible rodent problem; rats were destroying everything in town, They were threatening the townspeople with disease, famine, pestilence and plague. The council leaders sought help from every corner. To no avail. Until a magical piper came in and offered to remove the rats toot sweet with a magical toot toot of a pitch type pipe.

Quickly agreeing to his demand for a guilder in gold for each head the city leader authorizes the work. Magically, instantly, the Pied Piper played a piccolo type pipe and marched the rats away.

When he returned for his payment, the Mayor pointed out a technicality- no rat heads, no guilders.

Hamelin�s rats were a fearsome weapon of mass destruction and were gone, so he said, but there was no evidence to be found. So the Piper was prodded to go packing without payment. No one else in the Piper coalition stepped up to help. So the Piper piped the children of town away as well in a petulant performance of pride. Showing the world that even after the fearsome weapons no one could see were gone, the children were still very much in danger from the very Piper himself.

An interesting perspective; see the kids and rats perform with innocent and unabashed glee tonight at 6:30 at the Barn- no Guilders required, it�s free.

Friday, another crop of kids will perform The Pirates of Penzance at the Barn. This is a delightful Gilbert and Sullivan spoof of the modern major general trying to spread freedom and liberty to a world ruled by a band of pirates that have threatened his lifestyle and his daughters honor.

By spreading a deceitful rumor passed on to him by �friends across the sea� this pompous British leader lies about his heritage and lineage, and thus, the Major General barely escapes the first skirmish with these privateer insurgents.

In act II, his deceit is unveiled by a once and future pirate operating as deep throat. The Major General calls for more troops to fend off a subsequent attack group of enemy combatants outside his castle. The reluctant citizen soldiers he calls into the fray are unprepared, untrained, and unwilling to attack insurgent pirates.

Poshly poo-pooing his prior proclamations, now seen clearly as an obvious deceit, the Major General calls upon the Pirates sense of patriotism and duty to the Queen as a way of deflecting criticism, and avoiding being killed at the hands of the pirates.

He then pardons the pirates, revealed as former nobles and businessmen who had just gone �bad�, and encourages them to take his daughters in marriage and become part of the empire again.

Fictional stories. Hmmm. Unseen weapons of mass destruction. A mercenary outsider arriving in a remote city to clean up an internal problem for a very high fee. Then taking their children and hurting all the families. Leaders lying to their people, their soldiers and to enemy combatants to trick them into temporary abeyance. Calling out the Reserves and National Guard to fight. Giving up his children to noblemen who have gone bad. Patriotism and duty above all. Great stories.

Monday is July 4^th. Where we celebrate the declaration of liberty from a tyrannical ruler and his corrupt noblemen across the ocean. That ruler, King George III, had tried to foment dissent in the Colonies, have merchants create lopsided trade agreements that left the British Citizens here poorer and without a political voice. His advisors kept telling him that the rich noblemen and businessmen deserved government subsidies and protection. That the Lords of London deserved to have the government protect their trade, their markets, their livelihoods by law, by tax policy, by force and if needed, by armed might.

So when Ben Franklin and other emissaries tried to negotiate a fair trade agreement that would have meant, in effect, rescinding tax cuts for the rich, he was rebuffed. The rest is history.

Greed, Lies, deceit, bad government leadership, protecting business interests at the expense of people and children. I love reading stories written 125, 225 or even in Hamelin�s case, 725 years ago � but shouldn�t we have learned something by now?

 

EDITORIAL NOTE:

PLEASE INSERT SIDE BAR or BOX

Pied Piper- TODAY, 6:30PM Pirates of Penzance, FRI JULY 1 2:00 and 6:30PM : FREE Barn in the Park, Adams St. Opposite Hobart Arena

 

Leib Lurie is a Troy Civic Theatre Board Member, Optimist Club member and CEO of phone message service OneCallNow.com. You can reach him at Leib@Lurie.net

 

Lurie column June 22- Scultures reflect Troy- is it enough?

Sculptures Reflect Troy � Is It Enough?

In the next few days, the Troy Noon Optimist Club will release the names of the winners of the 2^nd Bronze Sculpture Photo Contest. Thanks to The Troy Daily News, BK Photo, Cl!ck Camera, and Peoples Savings Bank for their support of this project that benefits Troy Main Street and the community to build support for the arts and attract more visitors and people downtown. The winners will be on display at Troy-Hayner Cultural Center next month, published here, and be offered for sale this summer throughout the city as postcards and posters.

The judges pored over 100 entries. The depth and breadth of photography were remarkable, not just for the artistic viewpoints but the myriad ways that people and their pets were interacting with the statues. The juxtapositions of frozen realistic looking bronze and shutter-frozen statuesque people drew emotions that ranged from hilarious to poignantly moving.

The selection of this year�s Seward Johnson�s sculptures reflect everyday life. Kids, pets, parents, soldiers, workers, musicians. In reviewing them it is remarkable how close these selections really come to reflecting our community.

Although about 60% of recent Troy High School graduates start college, only 16% complete even a two year degree. Lower than the US average of 28%. Of the twenty statues hanging around Troy with 22 adults, just four portrayed working people dressed in business suits. The same 16% that start work in Troy with a college degree. OK, maybe I�m making an assumption that being in a suit means having a degree, an obvious falsehood given my daily khaki preference; but statistically valid.

One of the twenty Two bronze adults was a soldier, 4.5% which almost perfectly matches the enlistment rate for recent Troy graduates. The bronze soldier is shown in desert fatigues coming home to a hero�s greeting by a flag waving daughter. Although the GI bill offers $20,000 or more for college to these returning soldiers, most will never take full advantage of the option. In fact, the average soldier must contribute $1,200 to a college fund to get less than $5,400 for a two year degree back for his four year service. The realistic figure of the Montgomery GI bill payout? Less than $100 a month earned during service time for college. That�s the same as working a part time job like one shift a week at Subway; a retail establishment less fraught with danger than the service. Maybe that�s what this bronze soldier is thinking as he cries on return.

One of the frozen men on the square is a carpenter. A manual craftsman getting ready to build something using lumber and talent. About 5% of our community workers do craft work like this- some getting a JVS degree, others learning at the hands of a mentor. One of the submitted pictures shows a young girl aspiring to the crafts. We wish her luck in a field dominated by men, but with an increasing coed bent.

Two of Johnson�s sculptures have instruments. One plays the violin another strums a guitar. The violinist portrays a starving classical musician playing the street for dollars and donations. This matches the percentage of Troy graduates from the band, orchestra and show choir participants who go on to begin a music degree. The country guitar player looks like he�s just enjoying a hobby; and probably so- One in twenty adults play an instrument of some sort for fun. Unfortunately, for our society, few musicians will ever earn a decent living in the arts in an economy that sprinkles money on athletes. The statues don�t portray any professional sports � but shows appreciation for good exercise and fun. Thirty percent of us, and an equal number of the bronzies, are out playing, jogging or hiking. Enjoying the sunshine of June.

One of the best photos shows a woman arguing with the bronze parking ticket writing cop. A typical day in Troy as our 2 hour free parking limits clash with 3 hour lunches at O�Brien�s. Nonetheless, about 1 in twenty Trojans do work for local and county government- protecting our streets, maintaining our town and harvesting money from dawdling parkers. More and more of these jobs require sophisticated advanced education; and most new local cops have a college degree. Just having a degree from Tim Horton�s drive through isn�t enough anymore.

Seven of the 26 unmoving visitors are children. Twenty six percent. Which matches the census results for Troy youth. These realistic looking kids are biking, reading, playing, walking or playing with their parents. One of my favorite photos adds more kids to the mix as they turn play dates into play groups. It�s nice to see the interaction and focus on our children. It�s sad to know that many of them will not have successful childhoods, the heartbreaking fact is that one in five children will be abused or molested. Pick a bronze kid; like real life, only one in six of our city�s kids will emerge with the college degree, technical knowledge, life skills and self actualized confidence it takes to truly succeed in our twenty first century society.

The statues show us as we are, but is that the best that we can be?

 

Leib Lurie is a Troy resident, Optimist Club member, Troy Civic Theatre Board member and CEO of OneCallnow.com. You can reach him at Leib@Lurie.net

Lurie column June 15- classic tales unmask today's relaities

Leib Lurie�s Column for TDN: To run WEDNESDAY, June 15th

 

TITLE: Classic Tales unmask today�s politicians

 

The Fable �The Emperors� New Clothes� tells the story if an unassailable king who believed that magic clothing spun out of golden thread that only the righteous and honorable could see would clothe him in style.

A group of fawning tailors with a fast talking salesman convinced the King that he was above the common people who couldn�t see the magic and special fabrics and accessories that only their eyes could discern. The Emperor wanted to believe the myth, and desperately wanted to be bigger, better, stronger and more righteous than anyone else, or any king before. So he accepted their  flattery and started dressing in fictitious finery.

After modeling the new trappings of power, the King called for a Kingdom wide parade to show off his new finery.  Here, he planned to prove that only the worthy and righteous could fully appreciate his golden velvet robes.

The reality was a bit more degrading, when a youngster with no axe to grind, and unschooled in royal protocol unmasked the fraud.

It�s a great story, obviously with no bearing on reality or current politics; but a funny way to poke fun at leaders who believe themselves so far above the crowd that the people look like worms.

I�m glad that we live in a society where our state and federal elected officials respond to the people�s needs and share their goals and lifestyle. A world where rational planning and universal justice and freedom is supported by bi-partisan committees.

Well, actually, the Fairy Tale is being performed tonight at the Barn in The Park, The Troy Civic Theatre�s home on Adams street. Thirty elementary children will sing and dance their way through this cute tale (that has absolutely nothing in common with our leaders in Washington).

As a segue  between two somewhat disjointed thoughts, clothes and the truth, this week, I will quote from Mark Twain�

�A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. �

On another issue, one of America�s finest writers� Mark Twain continues to draw chuckles and knowing glances as his comments on politics and politicians get printed for yet another generation of readers. Having been dead over 130 years

One of Twain�s best known plays, Tom Sawyer, pokes fun at southern attitudes and the hi-jinks of teenagers. Here we see a young boy, clearly destined for politics, committing tomfoolery (or what has since been called such) on the townspeople, his aunt, and the neighbors. Maybe he should have gone to Yale with Kerry and Bush.

In any event., this poignant production will be performed by upper elementary and Junior High students, also at the Barn in the Park tomorrow afternoon and evening.

Watching these young children perform is delightful, their innocence and honesty is refreshing and enjoyable. Their willingness to question authority during rehearsal is a poignant reminder that the young child IN the Emperors� fable was just as beguiling and open with his comments that brought down the kingdom.

Their synchronized movement as they learn to work together in a bi-partisan type of role � so the end result is far better than if anyone tries to hog the limelight. Musicals and Plays bring out the best in our kids, and the Troy Rec dept and Civic Theatre that support them.

Some of the older children and their parents may reflect on the deeper realities of the play, and their roles as they immerse themselves in the magic and fantasy of live theatre; particularly plays and performances based on timeless tales from Mark Twain and Hans Christian Anderson.

I personally like the Sawyeresque concept of getting everyone to pay you for doing the dirty work, no pun intended, of whitewashing a fence. If only we could have convinced the rest of the world that a war in Iraq was something special that only a select few would be allowed to participate in; and have other countries pay to participate as we try to white wash that little corner of the terrorist�s world.

Leib Lurie is a Troy resident, Optimist Club member, Tropy Civic Theatre Board Member and Serial Software Entrepreneur. You can reach him at Leib@Lurie.net

Lurie Column June 8th- Gym Class athletes

David,

As we move to summer recreation season...

Guest column from Josh Lurie...

(Troy Resident, THS graduate, Sinclair student, Manager at Hollywood Video) 

Gym class was never a whole lotta fun for me. I knew that I wasn�t going to be an athlete, the other kids knew I wasn�t going to be an athlete, and the coach knew I wasn�t going to be an athlete. With all this knowledge floating around, I still had to move the ball and make it go that way, very fast. So I would approach the ball, and make it move in a general direction, at an adequate speed, which was good enough for me. I was still beaten up.

You know what I�ve got issues with, the gym propaganda. There�s tons of it, leaking out of the mouths of teachers, coaches, celebrities, committees, activists, presidents, and the like. They say over and over again that sports help children develop self esteem, as well as help them live happier, healthier lives. Well, my question is, why do over half the students in my gym class sit with a depressed look on their faces? They look at the ball go by, scratch a little, look up at the clock, and look at the ball go back by the other way. If they�re not going to enjoy the athletics and aren�t going to even try, then give these kids another option.

Eg. Instead of actually playing baseball, kids can watch "Pride of the Yankees". Instead of playing hockey, there�s air hockey. A nice alternative to football would be foosball.

Why do aerobics when you could simply watch Cindy Crawford do them for 45 minutes?

Old Coach Peters, there was a coach. He could tell who wanted to be in gym, and who didn�t. He put all the boys who could, and wanted to, play basketball on the full court. He put us boys who really didn�t like gym all together on a half court with some partially inflated relic from the Carter administration. So we would talk about computers and politics, and at least attempt to shoot a basket once in a while. Of course, whenever we did try to shoot a basket it would bounce off the bottom of the rim and end up in the full court. Then one of the larger boys would kick it at us and shout something about us being of homosexual orientation. And the cycle would begin anew. We boys on the half court had fun because there really wasn�t much pressure to do well. The kids who were on the full court had a nice, hard game of basketball. Of course, the constitution states that all men were created equal, whether they like it or not. So in the spirit of equality the administrators try to have everyone playing on the same field. It�s a great intention, but not the best reality. Case in point: Dodge Ball.

Now there�s an interesting sport. We used to play it all the time when we were kids. It�s a method of relieving academic stress for some kids; in other words, gargantuan monosyllabic idiots got to peg the smarter kids with inflated balls and get away with it.

A basic game of dodge ball went like this:
Ten of us would line up on one side of half the gym, ten on the other. You would have to peg the kids on the other side of the gym to get them "out". Our coach at the time was a very nice guy under normal circumstances, but he also liked to see kids getting hit with inflatable balls. He would demand that some of the bigger kids try for head shots, just to make things interesting. "That's head shot number two!" he would shout.

I could never really throw the ball very fast, or very accurately, or very far, so I would just try to avoid getting hit. Eventually I was the only one on my side of the gym, which is when the other kids decided to throw their entire ball at once in the hopes of scoring a hit. Dodge ball has some interesting ties to medieval gun battles. A bunch of men loyal to one lord would take one side of a battlefield and a bunch of men loyal to another lord would take the opposite side. The gun�s weren�t very accurate, and didn�t have a very good range, but if there were a lot of people on your side, and they all had a gun, someone on the other side of the field was bound to die. .

Am I mad at the gym teachers? Not really. They�re out there doing their best to keep everyone physically fit. They also seem to be out there doing their best to keep everyone mentally unstable, psychologically unbalanced and borderline psychotic, but physically fit.
And if you don�t have your health, what do you have?