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Mega man in the mushroom kingdom
From time to time the news cycle offers up an event of such import and complexity that it can only be comprehended through the medium of musical theater. This week resident composer Ben Greenman looks at the past and future of Brooke Astor, long the queen of New York society.
[BROOKE ASTOR sits on a couch in a room. She eats peas and oatmeal and waits for her son TONY to visit. She eats some more peas and oatmeal, falls asleep, wakes with a start.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
When I got to a hundred and four
I figured I couldn't go on anymore
When I got to a hundred and five
It made no sense to still be alive.
Now I'm terrified
Nothing's been clarified
What if this ordeal never
ends? What if I go on forever?
[DEATH comes in through the window. He knocks over a stack of bedpans and newspapers that has been left there.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
Hello, dear.
DEATH:
It's filthy in here!
[DEATH takes out his iPhone and checks the calendar. He looks at the screen, looks at BROOKE ASTOR, and touches a button on the screen.]
DEATH:
Check and check
Time's up, Mrs. Astor
I wish that the last few years
Could have gone faster.
[BROOKE ASTOR realizes her visitor is not her son TONY.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
You've come to give me my final reward?
I'm much obliged. I've been so bored.
DEATH:
I'm glad that you don't seem nervous
BROOKE ASTOR:
If anything, I feel expectant.
DEATH:
Let me spray some disinfectant
And then I'll show you our new service
[DEATH sits down next to BROOKE ASTOR, shows her his iPhone, and taps it with its finger. A movie appears onscreen.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
Talking pictures on a tiny transistor
Will modern wonders never cease?
DEATH:
Select one memory to watch
And then it's time for sweet release
BROOKE ASTOR:
Choosing just one seems terribly reckless
It's like singling out just one diamond necklace
DEATH:
Most of my customers pick their first moment of being
There's something about it that they find freeing.
[BROOKE ASTOR agrees to watch her own birth. It is March, 1902, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. JOHN HENRY RUSSELL, JR. and his wife, Mabel Cecile Hornby Howard Russell, have just become the parents of a baby girl.]
JOHN HENRY RUSSELL, JR.:
This child's name is Roberta Brooke Russell
It's a lovely long name that trips off of the tongue
I'm in the Marines, so we'll travel all over
She'll live nearly everywhere while she's still young
First, off to China, then Hawaii, then Haiti
Roberta will be a truly worldly young lady
[DEATH taps the screen again and the movie vanishes.]
DEATH:
Pretty sweet, huh?
This thing makes it easy
It can also store
All of my MP3s, see?
[DEATH sniffs.]
DEATH:
Something in here really reeks
It's like milk's been left out for weeks.
And I don't know how you're enduring
Sleeping soaked in your own urine.
[BROOKE ASTOR isn't listening. She's lost in a reverie.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
We went off to China, to Hawaii, to Haiti
I did learn to be a worldly young lady
When I was just seventeen, I wed John Dryden Kuser
A cheat and a scoundrel, a drunk, an abuser
We were pledged to each other by rule of law
But when I was with child, John shattered my jaw
[DEATH, nonplussed that he's being ignored, interrupts.]
DEATH:
You usually get just one quick scene
And then I make the lights go dark
But I think you earn a bonus moment
When you pass the century mark
Would you like to watch
The birth of your son?
I'll show you that, too
And then we'll be done
[DEATH taps the screen again, and it shows BROOKE, in 1924, holding her son TONY.]
BROOKE KUSER, 1924:
This darling newborn baby boy
Will be a source of joy, indeed
No child of mine will ever know
The painful ache of want or need
Material comforts, yes,
Are part of what I mean by this
But also my love and devotion
A mother's touch, a mother's kiss
I will hold him to my heart
And I will hold him to my brow
And goodness will pass into him
Like lifeblood; I can feel it now.
[DEATH taps the screen again and the movie vanishes. DEATH and BROOKE ASTOR sit silently for a second. BROOKE ASTOR turns to DEATH and grasps his hand.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
When you first came in, I thought you were Tony.
He's my son, but he's old, and his fingers are bony.
Can you believe that he is eighty-three?
He's the one who takes care of me.
DEATH:
I may be mistaken, but I don't feel
You should live on a diet of peas and oatmeal
When you have two hundred million dollars
Why should you suffer these pitiful squalors?
BROOKE ASTOR:
He tries to do as best as he can
Still, it's too much to ask of an elderly man.
DEATH:
Let's not start a conversation
The train's about to leave the station.
I granted you an extra showing
But now we really must be going.
[BROOKE ASTOR eyes the iPhone.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
I'm really excited to get where we're heading
But could I please look-see at my second wedding?
After ten years of beatings, I got a divorce
Married again in a few years, of course.
He was Charles Marshall, a broker in town
I remember the weather and my wedding gown.
He was heaven on earth, my one and my only.
Not for a moment was I sad or lonely
We were joined at the hip. We were one and the same.
I even made sure that my son took his name.
DEATH:
He sounds great
A real prize
But we're running late
So say your goodbyes
BROOKE ASTOR:
If my call for my second husband won't be heard
Then perhaps you could give me a glimpse of my third.
He was not a man of great popularity
But he helped me develop a strong sense of charity.
DEATH:
Okay, okay,
I'll do you a favor
But I need for you
To sign this waiver
[BROOKE ASTOR signs. DEATH begrudgingly shows her a series of scenes from the fifties and sixties during and after her marriage to VINCENT ASTOR. Most focus on her altruism.]
BROOKE ASTOR, 1962:
Wealth is faintly shameful
That is what I've found
Money's like manure.
It should be spread around.
Philanthropic living
Is the topic. Let's start giving.
Here you go, museum--I think that you will find
That you made out as well as the Lighthouse for the Blind
The public library, too, received a gift from me
I bankrolled the Fresh Air Fund's recent jubilee
Sooner or later you'll all feel my generosity
I'm giving away money with a breathless velocity
[DEATH sets the iPhone on the table.]
DEATH:
That's it. That's curtains. That's the end.
It's time to hit the road, my friend.
BROOKE ASTOR:
Can I see one thing from sixty-four?
After that, I promise, I won't ask for more.
DEATH:
We have to stop.
The shop is closed.
Don't make me sorry
I showed you those.
[BROOKE ASTOR grabs DEATH's cloak.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
Listen, sir.
I'm not so sure
You're understanding
What I'm demanding.
I want to see another scene from long ago.
These final grueling years have been a horror show
Dotage, infirmity, Alzheimer's disease
They've all been killing me by degrees
I forget more than half of the things that I've said
My mind's unmade like a child's bed
It's bleak and it's wretched. I'm sick and depressed.
So please do your damndest to meet my request
And show me life when it was good.
I devoutly wish you would.
DEATH:
I can't. We're done.
That was the last one.
I'm using the john
And then we'll get gone
[DEATH goes to the bathroom, leaving the iPhone on the table. BROOKE ASTOR picks up the iPhone and taps it. She touches the wrong button. Instead of showing her the past, it shows her the present. In it, she sees her son Tony lying about her financial circumstance and siphoning money out of her estate. BROOKE ASTOR tries to turn it off, but inadvertently presses another button and sees the future, in which Tony is arrested for larceny and forgery. BROOKE ASTOR gasps.]
BROOKE ASTOR:
Could this be what's happening
And what happens later?
Could my own son mistreat me
And act the vile traitor?
I almost wish that I could remain
And smack him hard in the head with my cane
[DEATH returns from the bathroom. BROOKE ASTOR hides the iPhone behind her back.]
DEATH
Okay. Good to go?
Let's get to the crypt
BROOKE ASTOR:
Young man, I must tell you
Your fly is unzipped.
[DEATH looks down, embarrassed. BROOKE ASTOR quickly replaces the iPhone. DEATH picks it up and holds out his hand to her. She takes it. She is light on her feet and he says so. She smiles graciously. An hour later, TONY MARSHALL comes to visit his mother. He finds her sitting in her chair. He feeds her some peas and oatmeal. He has her sign some papers. She mumbles "waiver," which he does not understand. He leaves. Five months later, she dies.]
Previously: Fragments from "Death Comes for Britney Spears! The Musical"
Ben Greenman is an editor at the New Yorker and the author of several books of fiction. His latest book, A Circle is a Balloon and Compass Both, was recently published.
Nemertes Research has once again warned that demand for Internet bandwidth will exceed capacity by 2012.
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Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360
Noting the gigantic bird that recently invaded your home and the uncomfortable gathering of family members (very often composed of equally gigantic birds), it must have dawned on you that the time to give thanks has finally arrived. What better target is there for our gratitude cannon than those that spend a good deal of their lives with us, making us laugh and providing us with times we'll always cherish? Indeed, we thought it best to thank our beloved consoles and handhelds for the hours upon hours of joy they provide -- without all the hassles and drama of competing products like family and friends.
19,553 (13.20%) 39,540 (48.43%) 2,433 (12.72%) 1,089 (6.74%)
186 (4.81%)121 (9.17%) 176 (14.51%) 18 (3.63%) 97 (34.77%) 18 (150.00%)3 (100.00%)Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, 13 November - 19 November: thankful edition
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/
Pretty Sexy oriental Girls Hot song Ranked 3.51 / 5 | 207 views | No comments
Click here to watch the video
Submitted By: Angel Mui
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Pretty Sexy oriental Girls Hot song
Por favor visita www.tvnautas.com.mx para mas informacion acerca de este video.
De La Salle University Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines
We thought that elevator zipping us to the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower was fast, but this one in the Taipei 101 building has been named the world's fastest by the Guinness Book of World Records. This one moves so quickly, it needs to be aerodynamically designed, roaring from the fifth floor to the 89th floor at a breakneck speed of 37.7mph. So is that treacly music they're playing supposed to make our descent seem even faster, or magical? Ha. Enough of that. Let's look at some pics of the elevator's innards.
If this elevator were any faster, they'd have to strap you into a special couch like those used on the space shuttle. Going down? By the time you get to the ground from the 89th floor, your stomach will still be waiting at the top. [Sci Fi Tech]
Sandie here, bringing you the debut of a new
feature on Hold the 'Fone, where we spotlight our favorite "living
legends" in the film industry. A select few working in Hollywood qualify
for the designation, and we can think of no one better to start off with than
Denzel Washington.
Vital Stats:
Age: 51
Family Status: Married
with four children
Hometown: Mount Vernon,
N.Y.
Breakout Role: Playing South African
freedom-fighter Steve Biko in director Richard Attenborough's 1987
docudrama, 'Cry
Freedom'
Total Films: 34, including his
latest, the time-bending thriller 'Déjà
Vu'
Noteworthy Awards: Two Oscars (five
nominations), two Golden Globes (five nominations) and 14 Image Awards
Trivia:
He has starred in four of director and good friend Spike
Lee's films.
The
Essential Denzel (it was hard to choose just six):
And on that somber note (sorry guys, Patton's
husband is sexy R&B singer-producer Robin
Thicke), Denzel had to go. But don't worry, we've got plenty more for
you to check out about our first Living Legend and his new film
'Déjà Vu,' which I promise is
up-to-par with Washington's previous collaborations with Scott and Bruckheimer
(but we won't say too much about it, because we're not in the business of
spoilers over here, people). I WILL say that it's the kind of nail-biter you
keep thinking about and talking about hours and even days
later.POST: What do you think of Denzel?
WATCH IT Get a glimpse of the 'Déjà Vu' trailer
MORE: Go behind the scenes of 'Deja Vu'
SEE: More Denzel Washington photos
POST: Who else is a "living legend"?
Tags: Denzel Washington, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tony Scott, 'Déjà Vu', Glory, Remember the Titans, Malcolm X, movies
Most Annoying Ringtone Ever.
this will drive anyone CRAZY!
also print 5,000 Full Color business cards for only $89
This week in Kid Nation, Greg cross dresses, Laurel proves she's the most fantastic child in America, and Guylan triggers my gag reflex. Everybody buckled up? Okay, let's go...
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
Microsoft will begin selling Xbox 360s in Brazil next month after years of planning, becoming the first console manufacturer to do so directly without the use of third-party vendors. Even though Brazilians have traditionally paid a grundle for consoles, Microsoft will charge $1,399 ($2999 reais) for the system, close to double what you'd pay for "unofficial" product (read: pirated consoles). Nossa! But the Premium package is bundled with three games.
SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Goles del partido entre Olimpo 1 - Arsenal 0. Apertura Argentino 2007 Ranked 3.12 / 5 | 196 views | No comments
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Submitted By: futbolizados
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olimpo arsenal sarandi argentina torneo apertura argentino 2007 futbol soccer gol goles
