Well, dear readers, it has come to pass. What has come to pass, you might ask, and I might tell you, because why should I keep such things from you? It has come to pass that I have gone from being a PC user to a Mac user with total ease. The reason for this is simple: I never knew enough about a PC that I had to unlearn anything. Yesterday, I fired up the Dell laptop and played on it for ten minutes. I could not believe how slow and unfriendly it was compared to the new Powerbook. The ease of the Powerbook is amazingly amazing, really. Even when you get confused, it’s so easy to figure out the solution to the problem. I get tremendously frustrated with new things, but each time I get ready to be angry, I just click on something and somehow the answer to my frustration is right there in front of my eyes. And the other benefits, such as iTunes and iPhoto are incredible. As are the other amenities, such as the address book and iCalendar, both of which have become invaluable to me. On the Dell I never did an address book or calendar because it was always too many things – start here, click here, go there, format there. On the Powerbook, it’s all there in front of your eyes – one click and it’s there and easy to use. And I haven’t even tapped the surface of this thing (I may never tap the surface of this thing) – I know it can do many more fun things I’m not even aware of. So, anyone who is also considering a change, I cannot speak highly enough of the Mac. Yes, Virginia, I come to praise the Mac. I come to speak high of the Mac. I leave it to Mr. Kurt Weill and Mr. Ira Gershwin to Speak Low – I speak high.
But enough of Mac and me. Last night I saw a staged reading of a play entitled The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Mr. Neil Simon. I suppose I don’t really understand the purpose of these “staged readings” – there’s not enough staging to be interesting, and it’s not really a reading because there’s staging. In any case, my friend Miss Joan Ryan and I met at the Alex Theater, where the staged reading was taking place (they’d previously done seven performances in Century City). First of all, I really like Mr. Simon’s play – it’s very well crafted and side-splittingly funny and painful at the same time. Mr. Bruce Weitz played the leading role and while he had some excellent moments, his performance became too one-note and I quickly tired of it. I felt the same about the female lead, Miss Bonnie Franklin. The supporting cast was very good, though. It included Mr. Steve Landesburg, Miss Beverly Sanders, and two dear pals of mine, Miss Marsha Kramer and our very own Miss Barbara Deutsch. It was grand fun to see Miss Kramer and Miss Deutsch land Mr. Simon’s jokes and even Miss Sanders, who is normally not my cup of tea, was very funny.
What am I, Ken Mandelbaum all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, because the hour is late and I must finish writing these here notes in a trice and then get them posted in a trice.
After the staged reading we went for a staged meal at Jerry’s Famous Deli in the City of Studio. In attendance were Miss Deutsch, Miss Kramer, and Miss Ryan. We had a high old time. I had a Chef Salad, as did Miss Deutsch, while Miss Ryan had French fries and ranch dressing. Miss Kramer didn’t stay long enough to eat. After about the fourth bite of my Chef Salad, I bit the inside of my lower lip. I hate when that happens. And then, as these things go, I proceeded to bite the lower lip over and over again. It was quite annoyingly annoying and by the end of the meal I was beginning to think I should be called Louie the Lip, so swollen was the inside of my lower lip. Actually, I think Louie the Lip is a fine name for the lides of me and also the likes of me. Sorry, I have no time to go back and fix typos. I am writing like the wind and frankly, the wind is writing like me.
Tonight I shall be doing the ASCAP/Disney Workshop, and I shall have a full report for you when I return from it. Other than that, I have a full day of things to do and do them I shall. So sayeth Louie the Lip.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must go hither and thither and perhaps even yon, I must write, I must coif myself so I look suave for the ASCAP/Disney Workshop, and I must attempt to not bite my lower lip anymore. Today’s topic of discussion: Let’s have a replay of a topic we did a couple of years ago, but one that is dear to my heart – who are your all-time favorite male and female character actors? I must get the notes posted in a trice, but I’ll just mention two of my favorites, Cecil Kellaway, and S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we? We shall, or so sayeth Louie the Lip.