Stories
June 13, 2009
Antique Power Show
Skowhegan State Fairgrounds , Maine
http://www.oldengine.org/members/mapa/
Maine Antique Power Show with antique engines, flea market, raffle and silent auction. Free Admission to the public. Help celebrate 35 years of old iron! At the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds at Madison Avenue aka Route 201-N
Jun 13, 2009
Annual Spring Running Riverfront Festival
Water Street and Bond Street Augusta, Maine 04330, (207) 563-3146
The Spring Running Riverfront Festival is a celebration of life in, on and along the Kennebec River. The festival celebrates and promotes the historic, cultural and economic connections of Augusta to the spring herring run and the Kennebec River. The event runs at Mill Park, and Old Fort Western. Local artisans will have their products for sale at Mill Park beginning Friday from 3-7pm, and the event will be in full swing from 10am-5pm on Saturday. Rain date is Sunday. The Spring Running draws multigenerational visitors who want to connect with the revitalized Kennebec River and have a good time doing it!
June 18 thru June 21, 2009
Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival
3130 W. River Road Sidney, Maine 04330, (207) 873-6539
The 32nd Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival features over a dozen performers. Ticket info and schedules are online. There is another Blistered Fingers festival in August. At Silver Spur Riding Club, 3130 W. River Rd.
June 19 through June 21, 2009
Festival FrancoFun
46 Cedar Street, Lewiston, Maine 04240, (207) 689-2000
Festival FrancoFun took over from the Festival de Joie in 2006. This Franco-American cultural festival features cultural music, traditions, language and foods at Franco American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar Street.
June 19 thru July 04, 2009
Whatever Family Festival
Gardiner, Maine
Gardiner, Augusta, Winthrop and surrounding communities come together during the Whatever Family Festival with many exciting events including Gardiner Arts Festival, Johnson Hall Waterfront Talent Show, Gardiner Rotary Fireworks, Hallowell Kayak and Canoe rides and Augusta Day in Capitol Park.
June 20, 2009
Summer Solstice Night
Rockland, Maine, (207) 596-0376
Summer Solstice Night is a celebration of summer and a kick-off to the summer season. It will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. on Main St. in Downtown Rockland. There will be live music, entertainment, street dancing, food and special events. For more information, call the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce
June 20, 2009
Windham Summerfest
Windham, Maine 04062, (207) 892-1905
Windham Summerfest is Windham's Town Day celebration of games food, music and fireworks. The Windham Summerfest is held at Windham High School, 406 Gray Road.
June 20, 2009
Maine Grains and Grapes Festival
Lewiston, Maine 04240, (207) 783-2009
A taste of some of the best locally crafted beer and wine! Join us for the second annual Maine Grains and Grapes Festival featuring Gritty McDuff's Brewing, Shipyard Brewing Co., Sea Dog Brewing, Casco Bay Brewing, Carrabassett Brewing, Tanguay and Son and many more! Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Visit www.thecolisee.com for more info
June 20 thru June 27, 2009
Legacy of the Arts Festival
Bar Harbor, Maine
The 11th Annual Legacy of the Arts festival celebrates Bar Harbor's rich history of art, music, Native American culture and much more. Activities include live music, art shows, exhibits, workshops, demonstrations and historic tours. The week begins with our annual Art Show on June 20 and 21 on the Village Green, followed by our traditional Father's Day concert at Agamont Park.
June 23 & 24
Annual Windjammer Days Festival
Boothbay Harbor, Maine, www.boothbayharbor.com
Full rigged windjammers sail into the harbor. Two fun-filled days of harbor side concerts, fireworks, an antique boat parade, a street parade, games and activities for the children, and plenty of food.
Thursday, June 25 thru Saturday, June 27, 2009
Yassou! - Annual Greek Heritage Festival
Portland, Maine (located on the corner of Pleasant and Park Street)
Join us in a celebration of Greek culture at the Annual Greek Heritage Festival at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.
June 26 through June 27, 2009
Saco Spirit Sidewalk Art Festival
Main Street and Pepperell Square, Saco, Maine 04072, (207) 286-5051
On Saturday June 27th, over 100 artists and craftsmen will line Main Street and Pepperell Square, transforming downtown Saco into a giant art gallery. For 39 years artist have traveled from all over New England and beyond to participate in what has become for many exhibitors one of their favorite festivals of the year. The combination of historic buildings, flowers, friendly people and quaint atmosphere combine to create a perfect setting for artists to exhibit their work to thousands of visitors. This years Arts Festival offers visitors the opportunity to view a variety of artistic styles from all mediums and photography to pottery, sculpture and fine crafts. There is something for everyone at the Saco Spirit Sidewalk Arts Festival.
June 27, 2009
Portland Lobster Festival
Maine State Pier and Commercial Street, Portland, Maine 04101, (297) 650-3455
The Portland Lobster Festival at the Maine State Pier benefits United Way and the Falmouth Rotary. The event includes a Lobster dinner, music, entertainment, raffles and giveaways. Lobster dinner tickets are $12.50. Free admission to other events.
July 3 & 4
Parade and Annual Sandcastle Contest
Ocean Park, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, http://www.oldorchardbeachmaine.com/Activity.htm
Come and enjoy live music with square dancing and the annual Sandcastle Contest on the beach.
July 10th, 11th & 12th 2009
Annual 26th year Moxie Festival
Lisbon Falls, Maine, www.moxiefestival.com
In honor of the world famous soft drink, Moxie, a beverage of distinctive taste. Music, entertainment, food, fireworks, bed race and carnival games.
July 10 -12, 2009
11 Annual Greek Heritage Festival
186 Bradley Street, Saco
3-day fun filled festival. Hosted by the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek Heritage Festival
July 11 & 12, 2009
Maine Blues Festival
15 Village Green Lane, Naples, Maine
The 4th Annual Blues Festival in Naples will feature 20 different blues bands playing live music throughout Naples at a multitude of locations including Bray's, Freedom Cafe, Rick's, The Village Green, and The Causeway Marina. There will be shuttle buses, non-profit vendors, barbeque fund-raisers, festival t-shirt and merchandise sales and more. Tickets are available at Bray's, Freedom Cafe, and the Northshore Tavern in Naples and from the Windham and Bridgton Chambers of Commerce.
How the Internet Got Its Rules
Courtesy of Stephen D. Crocker, the New York Times
April 7th is an important date in the history of the Internet: the 40th anniversary of what is known as the Request for Comments. Outside the technical community, not many people know about the R.F.C.’s, but these humble documents shape the Internet’s inner workings and have played a significant role in its success.
When the R.F.C.’s were born, there wasn’t a World Wide Web. Even by the end of 1969, there was just a rudimentary network linking four computers at four research centers: the University of California, Los Angeles; the Stanford Research Institute; the University of California, Santa Barbara; and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The government financed the network and the hundred or fewer computer scientists who used it. It was such a small community that we all got to know one another.
A great deal of deliberation and planning had gone into the network’s underlying technology, but no one had given a lot of thought to what we would actually do with it. So, in August 1968, a handful of graduate students and staff members from the four sites began meeting intermittently, in person, to try to figure it out. (I was lucky enough to be one of the U.C.L.A. students included in these wide-ranging discussions.) It wasn’t until the next spring that we realized we should start writing down our thoughts. We thought maybe we’d put together a few temporary, informal memos on network protocols, the rules by which computers exchange information. I offered to organize our early notes.
What was supposed to be a simple chore turned out to be a nerve-racking project. Our intent was only to encourage others to chime in, but I worried we might sound as though we were making official decisions or asserting authority. In my mind, I was inciting the wrath of some prestigious professor at some phantom East Coast establishment. I was actually losing sleep over the whole thing, and when I finally tackled my first memo, which dealt with basic communication between two computers, it was in the wee hours of the morning. I had to work in a bathroom so as not to disturb the friends I was staying with, who were all asleep.
Still fearful of sounding presumptuous, I labeled the note a “Request for Comments.” R.F.C. 1, written 40 years ago today, left many questions unanswered, and soon became obsolete. But the R.F.C.’s themselves took root and flourished. They became the formal method of publishing Internet protocol standards, and today there are more than 5,000, all readily available online.
But we started writing these notes before we had e-mail, or even before the network was really working, so we wrote our visions for the future on paper and sent them around via the postal service. We’d mail each research group one printout and they’d have to photocopy more themselves.
The early R.F.C.’s ranged from grand visions to mundane details, although the latter quickly became the most common. Less important than the content of those first documents was that they were available free of charge and anyone could write one. Instead of authority-based decision-making, we relied on a process we called “rough consensus and running code.” Everyone was welcome to propose ideas, and if enough people liked it and used it, the design became a standard.
After all, everyone understood there was a practical value in choosing to do the same task in the same way. For example, if we wanted to move a file from one machine to another, and if you were to design the process one way, and I was to design it another, then anyone who wanted to talk to both of us would have to employ two distinct ways of doing the same thing. So there was plenty of natural pressure to avoid such hassles. It probably helped that in those days we avoided patents and other restrictions; without any financial incentive to control the protocols, it was much easier to reach agreement.
This was the ultimate in openness in technical design and that culture of open processes was essential in enabling the Internet to grow and evolve as spectacularly as it has. In fact, we probably wouldn’t have the Web without it. When CERN physicists wanted to publish a lot of information in a way that people could easily get to it and add to it, they simply built and tested their ideas. Because of the groundwork we’d laid in the R.F.C.’s, they did not have to ask permission, or make any changes to the core operations of the Internet. Others soon copied them — hundreds of thousands of computer users, then hundreds of millions, creating and sharing content and technology. That’s the Web.
Put another way, we always tried to design each new protocol to be both useful in its own right and a building block available to others. We did not think of protocols as finished products, and we deliberately exposed the internal architecture to make it easy for others to gain a foothold. This was the antithesis of the attitude of the old telephone networks, which actively discouraged any additions or uses they had not sanctioned.
Of course, the process for both publishing ideas and for choosing standards eventually became more formal. Our loose, unnamed meetings grew larger and semi-organized into what we called the Network Working Group. In the four decades since, that group evolved and transformed a couple of times and is now the Internet Engineering Task Force. It has some hierarchy and formality but not much, and it remains free and accessible to anyone.
The R.F.C.’s have grown up, too. They really aren’t requests for comments anymore because they are published only after a lot of vetting. But the culture that was built up in the beginning has continued to play a strong role in keeping things more open than they might have been. Ideas are accepted and sorted on their merits, with as many ideas rejected by peers as are accepted.
As we rebuild our economy, I do hope we keep in mind the value of openness, especially in industries that have rarely had it. Whether it’s in health care reform or energy innovation, the largest payoffs will come not from what the stimulus package pays for directly, but from the huge vistas we open up for others to explore.
I was reminded of the power and vitality of the R.F.C.’s when I made my first trip to Bangalore, India, 15 years ago. I was invited to give a talk at the Indian Institute of Science, and as part of the visit I was introduced to a student who had built a fairly complex software system. Impressed, I asked where he had learned to do so much. He simply said, “I downloaded the R.F.C.’s and read them.”
Stephen D. Crocker is the chief executive of a company that develops information-sharing technology.
10 free or cheap ways to keep kids entertained
Make the old new again, get ‘em outside and learn lessons from your mom
By Laura T. Coffey, TODAYShow.com contributor, MSNBC
Veteran newspaper journalist Laura T. Coffey writes a column for TODAYshow.com called “10 Tips for Keeping Your Money in Your Wallet.” Her crusade to help consumers make smart financial decisions began in 1996, when she fell victim to a scam and lost $1,700. (Don't worry — she got even.) Feel free to e-mail Laura with your feeback, tips and questions.
The economy’s in the toilet. The job market’s lousy. But you know what can sting even more?
The specter of having to say no to many of the requests your child makes because money is
so tight. I’m not talking about excessive requests or spoiled-brat requests. I’m talking
about reasonable requests involving stuff or activities that are just plain fun. Having to say
no again and again can be downright painful.
Take heart, though: There are plenty of tricks for helping your kids have fun and get at least some
of what they want without completely busting your budget. It just requires some forethought and
creativity.
What’s more, crazy times like these give many parents ample opportunities to pass along valuable
money lessons to their kids.
“I think it’s really important to teach children how to set priorities and set goals,” said Susan
Beacham, a former private banker who founded Money Savvy Generation, a company in Lake Bluff,
Ill., that teaches personal-finance concepts to children and parents. “It’s a precursor to teaching
them that there’s a lot they can do with money, and spending is not all they have to do with money.”
Bearing that in mind, the following tips can help you keep your kids wealthy in the fun department, no
matter how the economy is faring.
1. WWMD: What would Mom do?
Beacham pointed out that our moms didn’t have access to DVDs, Xboxes, Game Boys and iPhones when
we were little. Heck, many of our mothers didn’t even have access to a second car. So how in the heck
did they keep us entertained?
“Your mom probably went to the park with you, went on walks with you, read books with you, told you to
go outside and come back later,” Beacham said. “I know the world has changed, I know it’s a scarier
place, but is it so scary that your kid can’t ever go out and play with a neighbor kid?”
Beacham said reflecting on the activities our moms did
with us can yield all sorts of ideas for stuff we can
do with our kids — stuff that costs little or nothing.
Can you cook together? Head out to the library together?
Play board games or cards together?
2. It’s OK to let children entertain themselves.
These days many kids grow accustomed to a frantic, highly structured
pace at a very young age. But sometimes it really is
OK — even beneficial — for them to entertain themselves
all on their own in ways that aren’t hyper-stimulated
and super-regimented. Again, take a lesson from the “What would Mom do?” school
of thought. I remember plenty
of times where my mom would encourage me to read, draw
or listen to my records. (That’s right ... I said records!)
A friend of mine who is the mother of four grown children
told me that one of her funniest memories as a mom stemmed
from a moment when her daughter was bored out of her
wits and pestering her for something to do. “I told
her to go write an opera — and she did! She made it
very dramatic, and she performed it for me when she
was done. It was a scream!”
3. Stockpile ammunition for future use.
Beacham
noted that many parents feel subtle or not-so-subtle
pressure to invite lots of kids to their children’s
birthday parties. This phenomenon can lead to an overwhelming
stash of gifts for a little kid. “OK, so here’s what
you do,” Beacham said. “You let him open them, and then
you put half of them or two-thirds of them away and
re-gift them later. They’ll completely forget 10 minutes
after the party how much they received. They’ll be pleased
just with what’s in front of them. Keep some in reserve
and pull them out later when you really need them.”
4. Make the old new again.
In a similar-yet-different
vein, here’s another suggestion from Beacham that I
think borders on genius: Take toys that have been all
played out by your kids and tape them up in a box (or
two or three). Label each box with a date and just a
few words that merely hint at the contents without giving
them away. Store the boxes in a basement or garage or
crawl space — ideally for several months. Then when
your kids start clamoring for something new to play
with, coordinate a scavenger hunt. “Take ‘em down to
the basement and say, ‘OK, pick one.’ They’ll be thrilled.
And this is nice because it teaches them that things
have value in the long term, not just the short term.
I promise you they’ll replay with those toys as much
as they did the first time.”
5. Have your child compile a wish list.
So there you are, in a store with a child who’s
about to MELT DOWN if he or she doesn’t get that certain
toy. The situation is tense. You know you shouldn’t
spend the money on that item right now, but you also
want to avoid a tantrum. Beacham offered this trick,
which really can work once you get this system up and
running: “Tell your child, ‘OK, add this to your list.’
” Your mutual understanding with your child can be that
the list will be consulted for any and all special gift-giving
opportunities. If he or she really wants something,
it just has to go on the list and it will be taken seriously.
“If they’re too young to write down what they want,
they can draw it so they’ll remember it. Post the list
if you want. Share the list with grandparents. Ask children
to keep the list up to date and put a line through things
they’re no longer interested in. It will help them understand
how to prioritize. ... And when gift-giving time rolls
around, it will be appalling to you to see how many
things on that list they no longer care about.”
6. Get support from grandparents, aunts and uncles.
The more people who adore your children and want to be involved in their lives, the better. If you have close family members who know you’re going through a tough time financially, ask them to help you grant wishes that are beyond your budget. “Just ask anyone who’s on the bench in your child’s life to help in specific ways,” Beacham said. “They’ll want to do it.”
7. Barter, swap, wheel and deal.
The amount of barely used toys and kids’ clothes and
books that can be picked up at garage sales and via
a wide variety of Web sites is shocking. You really
don’t have to pay top dollar for a lot of the stuff
your kid might want. Just head out to garage sales in
nice suburban neighborhoods on almost any Saturday morning,
and your haul can be phenomenal. You also can swap toys
and other items on SwapThing.com, and you find all sorts
of items through Craigslist, The Freecycle Network,
Sharing Is Giving, Freecycleamerica.org, ReUseIt Network
and FreeSharing.org. If you do nab any used toys or
gear, check for recalls through the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission by calling
1-800-638-2772 or visiting its Web site.
8. Become an expert on all the free kids’ activities
in your area.
If you just don’t have time to do
this kind of legwork, turn to a friend and fellow mom
who does. Public libraries always have activities for
kids that are completely free, and most museums offer
free or greatly reduced admission on one day of the
week or month. Some kindergarten teachers also can be
fantastic resources in this department, Beacham noted,
so be sure to ask them whether they know of any fun
free stuff to do. And don’t forget the power of the
Internet. A quick online search for the name of your
city along with the words “free kids’ activities” can
do wonders. Some Web sites are dedicated to highlighting
free or dirt-cheap activities for parents in certain
cities; Red Tricycle, for instance, provides lists of
such options in the Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego
areas. 10 tips to keep money in your wallet 10 dirt-cheap
ways to keep kids happy Don’t let the recession make
you fat! Job interview? Don’t wear capri pants
9. Help your child establish a “coupon fund.”
Here’s a deal
you can cut with your kid: If he or she finds coupons
for items you buy as a family and clips enough of them
that you manage to save $10 on groceries, you can promise
to share $5 of that savings with your child. Then your
child can save up that coupon money and put it toward
something he or she has been wanting. “So they tell
you they want a video game. You can say, ‘Use your coupon
money. How much do you have saved up now?’ ” Beacham
suggested.
10. Get outside.
So long as the weather is
tolerable out there, your kids could benefit immensely
from getting some fresh air. Maybe you don’t have the
time, energy or resources to organize a big camping
trip right now — but could your kids camp in the backyard
on a Saturday night? Could you even help them roast
some marshmallows out there without burning the house
down? Other ideas: Are there any beaches, beautiful
parks or nifty points of interest in your area where
you could let your kids run around, burn some energy
and get some exercise? If you already have bikes, could
you go biking together on a day off for no money at
all? (Just carry some snacks or sandwiches with you
in a backpack!) By doing something along these lines
where you live, your kids will have loads of fun, and
you’ll feel better too.
The Festival is a re-enactment of ancient celebrations which marked the end of the twelve days of Christmas. Tradition claims Epiphany as the time when the Magi offered their gifts to the Christ Child. In medieval England, this religious festival was recognized by revels in the manor hall, presenting a wild boar's head, which came to symbolize Christ's triumph over Satan.
Our Festival is staged
in the spacious sanctuary, decorated in the beginning as the Manor House.
Arriving guests are greeted with music and offered sweetmeats. The Herald
proclaims the entry of the Boar's Head, carried in triumph by the Beefeaters,
and a procession of cooks and staff brings forth the great feast. Then follow
carolers to wish us well, King Wenceslas and his pages reminding us to help
those in need, and woodsmen with the yule log, which represents the rekindling
of love. The lights dim and the hall transforms into a cathedral for the worship
of the newborn King as the Holy Family arrives, followed by Shepherds, Magi
and animals. When all have assembled, they kneel in adoration. The ceremony
closes as a small child in the role of the yule sprite, accompanied by a cleric
of the church, carries forth Christ's light to all people.
Throughout the performance, music
by the Midcoast Brass Quintet, the Chancel Choir and handbell ringers of Rockland
Congregational Church, and vocal and instrumental soloists, with singing by
the congregation, is enhanced by Richard Einsel at the organ. With a large
costumed cast, dancers from the Rockport Dance Conservatory, live animals,
choirs and musicians, the Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival at Rockland Congregational
Church is a glorious way to close the holiday season.Ticket sales open on November 10. General admission seats are $10 and reserved numbered seats on both sides of the center aisle are $15. To purchase tickets call the office of Rockland Congregational Church at 594-8656. Major credit cards are accepted. Performance dates and times are Friday January 2 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday January 3 at 4:30 p.m., Saturday January 3 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday January 4 at 4:30 p.m. All of the hour-long performances are preceded by Renaissance entertainment for the arriving audience, beginning 30 minutes before the show. The audience is invited to enjoy refreshments at the Gala in the Fellowship Hall after the festival.
PHOTOS:
1. Bill Maddox as Court Jester interacts with the audience during the 2008 Festival
2. Dancers Kari Cameron, Lyn Tesseyman and Danika Howard of the Rockport Conservatory of Dance
Charity gazebos and hot-dog stalls formed a crescent around a makeshift stage, its floodlights flickered on and off, the power cables stuttered. Not so the local personality making small talk through a cordless microphone, while a panel of local luminaries judged the talent contest. The winner, a shy teenager, did not possess the voice of the singer from the Cranberries, but she¹d written her own material and arranged a backing track. This was enough to scoop the prize, a goofy grin as wide as the river.
As I sat on my wooden log watching the perfect town gathering unfold, I sensed I was witnessing something rare. As cute as a kitten in a cardboard box, as the tracksuit kids on their bmx¹s, as the ladies warming cider on calor gas stoves, as the painted-skeleton face of the girl with the flashing wand, as the smile that sold me the chowder and placed it in my hands. The evening was stage-managed to perfection. Maybe the director had sent scripts and costume requirements to every single person there, and walked around incognito whispering in ears. He would have left content.
As I drove away from the smoking fires I thanked the Lord for things like that. For perfect human moments, and little old ladies with Styrofoam cups. For in amongst the activity, and carefully choreographed sideshows where hundreds of happy people being hundreds of happy people and not trying to be anything more.
He was one of the last of the giants. It’s as if a Sequoia has fallen. And, corny as it sounds, he was on that shortest of short lists: real good guys. His good deeds, charities and availability for worthy causes should get him into anybody’s heaven. If his artistic talents were short of Brando’s — and whose weren’t? — he was a hell of a lot better steward of his acting gifts than the man Jack Nicholson always called “The Man on the Hill.” And he, Brando, never once returned to the stage, where those lucky enough to see him there make you envious. saying, “If you think Marlon was powerful in the movies . . . ” Mr. Newman delighted theater-goers by repeatedly returning to Broadway.
He and I first met on my old daytime show, which he had discovered early and lent support to when people of his caliber didn’t yet. He kept coming on through the years and was the ideal guest. He would be funny, Even silly. And, as easily, dead serious and even profound.
It was fun to watch the faces in the audience when he stepped onto the stage. It was as if they were seeing a deity. Once I saw (and heard) an astonished woman down front say, “Oh, my God! There he is!” (I almost asked her, “Did you think I was kidding?”)
(I lied a moment ago. I just remembered that, in fact, we had briefly met before in New Haven. I was a “freshie” at Yale and had just seen him onstage at the venerable Shubert Theater in the Broadway-bound “The Desperate Hours.” Three times at $1.20 each — mid-’50s prices. Front row, second balcony.) Those startling good looks could take most of your breath away. I found that out when I all but smacked into him on the street. About a decade later I asked him, one the air, if he remembered a flustered freshman type who blurted, ” Great performance, Mr. Noonan!”
“Was that you?” he jested.
I wince a bit, remembering how much I kidded him once on the show about sweating. He had just come from the gym and perspired like a lemonade pitcher in August, apologetically daubing his face with his handkerchief. I remember playfully calling attention to it, saying, “I only allow my guests to sweat backstage.”
I sweat now, recalling this. But such impertinence seemed O.K. because his complex, congenial charm made you feel like an old friend, even a buddy. right from the start. Once he came into my dressing room before the show and put some kind of drops in his eyes. I asked if they were the ones Peter O’Toole used that supposedly enhanced the blue in his eyes. He denied this and then, stepping back and looking at his reflection — and feigning sudden discovery — said, “My God! No wonder everybody wants me.”
He wasn’t kidding. When the young Brando came to New York, bipeds of every known sex hungered for him. “You must get that too,” Paul said once, with a smirk. I admitted it was true, but probably to a lesser degree. “Because you’re half a foot taller then I am,” I suggested — as if that were the only difference.
“Gays, too?” he asked.
“Especially,” I said.
Wickedly, he had a bright idea: “Hey, why don’t you and I date each other a few times in public and maybe they’ll all leave us alone.”
We got to laughing ourselves silly over the idea.
Paul: Will you be embarrassed if I call before we go out and ask what you’re going to wear?
D.C.: Not at all. I’ll probably say, “I’m wearing something mauve and clingy . . . and a simple veil.”
By that time we had all but convulsed ourselves over our saucy, alleged humor. I said that we must have looked “like two Deke frat boys, howling with laughter over belching, up-chucking and the passage of gas.”
“You just described a former me,” he said. “Just a different frat.”
Paul’s fondness for elaborate pranks and practical jokes lasted, some felt, a bit too long. A famous friend who might prefer not to be ID’d said that while Paul was a responsible and mature adult, “his sense of humor froze at about seventh grade level.” He and Robert Redford had become friends with “Butch Cassidy.” And Redford had a beloved sports car. In a move that few real seventh graders could afford, Newman managed to have it towed away — under cover of darkness — and compacted. The heavy and massive block that resulted was returned to Redford’s front lawn.
Nobody needed to guess who had done it, least of all Bob “Rarely Anyone’s Fool” Redford. The following morning the ugly monolith of glass and steel was gone from the Redford lawn. Dawn revealed it: it had suddenly and mysteriously found its way to the Newman residence, where it could be plainly seen . . . on the roof. Paul’s ire was kindled by lots of things, ranging from autograph hounds to Richard Nixon. Despite having been draped with awards, he convincingly maintained that his appearance on The Great Unindicted Co-Conspirator’s “Enemies List” was his favorite honor. As one similarly honored, I believe that. He refused to ratify the oft-assumed showbiz rule that celebrities are honor-bound to gratify every pest who feels entitled to a chunk of any celebrity’s time, whether the bothered and famous one is strolling, eating or, um, attending to nature’s demands. Paul was hilarious in describing how once in an NBC men’s room an astonished fan realized whom he was standing next to, turned 90 degrees while still in midstream and said, “Wow, Paul Newman.”
Newman: “I was ashamed of what they were going to think at the cleaners.”
For way too long, our paths failed to cross. The last time I saw him was at a party here in the city for some noble cause. It was at the Johnson apartment (as in Johnson & Johnson) on Park Avenue. As usual on such occasions, Paul stood apart, his back to a wall, observing. We chatted. Years earlier he had confessed to the practice of dunking that famous face in ice water each day, “for preservation purposes.”
It must have worked because there was no doubt who — at just short of 80 — he was, But, standing with him, I felt something was wrong with the picture. Then I realized what it was. And how many years had gone by. And how time is nobody’s friend. Paul Newman and I were, for the first time, the same height.
