Hunter/Garcia (Grateful Dead)
LOAD.
Head: Fine. Let's get on with it. Where are we now?
Heart: What? Really? Now you want to know?
Head: Call it an inventory.
Heart: Well, all right then...Good News or Bad News First?
Head: Bad. Then Good.
Heart: Well....It ain't pretty....Does the word "shambles" mean anything to you?...Your talent for self-destruction is epic. It's Charlie Sheen-esque, without the hookers...The phrase "steaming hot mess" applies here...I'm thinking you have gone a little Cukoo for Cocoa-Puffs...You're operating the heavy machinery without checking the warning labels.
Head: I'm listening, barely. Go on, you're on a roll.
Heart: Look, I feel you, I really do...but you have got to stop digging. You are standing in a hole shovelling dirt as fast as you can, and you think you are making progress, but you are just getting deeper and deeper. Keep digging and you won't be able to climb out. Put the shovel down and get out of the hole.
Head: That's a metaphor, right?....Yeah....okay, I hear you...What about the Good?
Heart: The Good is that someone might be reading this right now and they get it.
WASH.
A good bank robber always has a plan.
He visualizes the event and prepares for several contingencies. He makes stylistic choices very early in his planning to determine whether to go in "heavy" or "light", usually discarding the aggressive, gun-waving, "everyone on the ground" tactic as dangerous and fool-hardy. He respects the idea of an armed citizenry and the legality of concealed carry laws.
He prefers the skillful approach of a quiet, nonchalant note pass that takes panic out of the equation and relies on the banks' training manual that teaches its tellers a professional and composed acquiescence. He knows the F.B.I. statistics suggest that the overwhelming number of violent robberies end up with convictions, and conversely, the note-pass robbers get away with their actions an equally overwhelming amount of the time. He counts on police and Federal investigators having a routine reaction to the event, treating it as casually as a report of check-washing, or car theft. He counts on that, too, as he has prepared his get-away by providing himself a mechanically sound, late-model sedan of a non-descript make and color, with switched out licence plates.
He further prepares himself, by choosing clothing that is loose, comfortable, and without brand identification. He prefers a simple ball-cap and sunglasses, and latex examination gloves. He prepares a simple, direct note that indicates that he is armed, and instructs the teller to place only the cash from her drawer on the counter where he can see it. He ensures that he doesn't receive an exploding paint marker, then places the cash in a small bank bag that he carries in with him.
During the event, he remains calm, scanning the lobby for threats, yet keeping his focus on the teller. As soon as the cash is in the bag, he turns and quickly exits the bank, goes directly to the get-away car that has been left running, and smoothly enters the traffic flow, travelling at least a quarter of a mile to a residential neighborhood where he has parked his personal vehicle on the street. Removing his ball cap, and glasses, he drives away with a modest amount of cash, a few thousand dollars at the most, and is confident that he will not be caught. He has skillfully made a simple withdrawal from the F.D.I.C. It is a no muss, no fuss operation. He compares the overall risk of the event to visiting an A.T.M. machine at night.
The bad bank robber seems to dwell on the details in his planning.
He prepares himself before the event by checking in to a Motel 6 near the interstate crossing. There he will go over all the scenarios in which to perpetrate the perfect crime, his goal being a tidy haul that will ensure long-term financial stability. He is particular in his clothing choices. He settles on layers of clothing that will facilitate a quick change in his appearance: A trench coat over a sweater, that is worn over a t-shirt, and wind-pants over shorts. Sneakers are chosen in case of the need to run away on foot, gloves are to be worn, as well as a knit stocking cap. He acknowledges that he is sweating, but attributes it to the excitement of the event.
He decides a note-pass is ideal and decides to eliminate a step by writing the note on the back of a McDonald's bag which has been designated to carry out the loot. He writes the note with his left hand to fool the hand-writing experts, yet forgets that he will keep the note with him, as it is also the bag.
His get-away car is his own, as he has no idea how to hot-wire a car. He drives around the area hotels looking for a similar make and model, and when he finds it, surreptitiously removes the license plate. He hesitates momentarily, then dismisses the concern that he may ruin someones vacation the next day, and deftly attaches the Florida plates onto the S.U.V. with Texas inspection stickers. He can't hot wire a car, but he is surgical with a screwdriver.
On the way to the bank in his nearly invisible vehicle with the power steering leak, slippy transmission, and corroded battery terminals, he runs through "The Plan". He will walk in, go to the table where you fill out your deposit, quickly scan the room for armed security, and proceed directly to the teller. He will hand her the McDonald's bag with the note written on the bag with a Sharpie marker that is now a sea of black ink floating in french fry grease, tap on the counter once to get her attention, then tap on his breast pocket adamantly to indicate the presence of a gun which is actually a pair of rolled up socks. He will leave with the money quickly, taking a moment in the parking lot to dig for his key fob, pressing the auto-lock button several times before it's run-down battery triggers the lock. He quickly makes a note to keep his door unlocked. He reminds himself that he is to drive to the mall, where he will park, change out the plates, and drive to the motel to monitor the news coverage.
Outside of the bank, he takes a moment to compose himself, wipe the copious amount of sweat from his brow, and screw his courage to the sticking point. The moment of truth arrives as he walks as casually as possible into the lobby and is immediately greeted by the Loan Guy, the Popcorn Lady, and not one, but three smiling and available tellers, all eager to give world-class customer service.
He asks quietly, "Where's the ATM?"
RINSE.
It's three a.m and the phone rings again
Taxi man is calling, am I gettin' in?
Start the meter, I say, I need more time
You should go on, you say, and you'll be fine
I don't like leaving but I've got no choice
You don't like my face, and can't stand my voice
I know I can't stay here another night
'Cuz all we have is broke, all we do is fight
We never got to where we could have been
Money's long gone, all our dreams were cashed in
I lost you when you asked and I just lied
I pawned my car for a late night cab ride
Ain't slept a wink since we moved up in here
Not enough air, we were smothered by fear
They say that two can live as cheap as one
But it's harder to talk, than it is to run
We rolled some dice that were loaded to lose
I'm short ten bucks, got those Yellow Cab blues
SPIN.
In Shakespeare's comedies the "mistakes of a night" usually wind up with a happy resolution. It's a bumpy path along the way, our heroes often losing their reputations, their fortunes, and their gender identity before the inevitable denouement. The ending plot device always results in lovers reunited, order restored, promises kept, and a marriage celebration. Everyone goes home happy and laughing at "what fools these mortals be".
In Shakespeare's tragedies, grave errors in judgement by the protagonist serve as the catalyst for a cascade of events that result in nothing less than the death of most of the main characters. Every tear shed in Capulet's tomb is set in motion by a poor choice to crash a party; Before Lear can howl away in rage at the storm, he must act the fool and cast out the wrong daughter. There is very little these characters can do to stem the tide of the first deadly mistake, and often rail against the fates that they themselves created.
Late in his life, Shakespeare's Tragi-comedic masterpieces were moral-filled plays that dwelled not on the mistakes that were made, the injustices endured, or the losses suffered, but contained instructive messages of hope for humanity. Perhaps it was his advancing age, or his own vital experience that qualified him to speak about reconciliation, about forgiveness, and redemption. These concepts are not freely given out in these difficult plays. They are earned by the characters through the endurance of the trial by fire. It is impossible for Prospero even with "all his arts" to become the total man, unless he gets to the point where he can forgive the ones who banished him. He has to completely own his own transgressions of the past and free himself from the pain that he endured and caused. There are no happy endings in these last plays, but rather a humane understanding and acceptance of their "parts performed in this wide gap of time since we were dissevered."
Shakespeare has plenty of lessons. For me, it has always been the individual quotes that served to broaden my vocabulary, if not my perspective. Some universal truths can be gleaned from the old texts, golden nuggets to be used in conversation, a witty zinger thrown in to spice up the dialogue such as "First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers". But for all of the hours invested in reading Shakepeare, I missed something very basic. Lost to me among the great one-liners and familiar scenes, is that the entire canon as a whole shows a course of a life, a man first interested in folly and fun, then dealing with decisions and consequences, then eventually coming to a place where he is in full control of his arts. It took Shakespeare his entire adult life to finally write about the most human of concepts, forgiveness.
If you bother to look for them, Shakespeare has plenty of lessons.
WASH.
A good bank robber always has a plan.
He visualizes the event and prepares for several contingencies. He makes stylistic choices very early in his planning to determine whether to go in "heavy" or "light", usually discarding the aggressive, gun-waving, "everyone on the ground" tactic as dangerous and fool-hardy. He respects the idea of an armed citizenry and the legality of concealed carry laws.
He prefers the skillful approach of a quiet, nonchalant note pass that takes panic out of the equation and relies on the banks' training manual that teaches its tellers a professional and composed acquiescence. He knows the F.B.I. statistics suggest that the overwhelming number of violent robberies end up with convictions, and conversely, the note-pass robbers get away with their actions an equally overwhelming amount of the time. He counts on police and Federal investigators having a routine reaction to the event, treating it as casually as a report of check-washing, or car theft. He counts on that, too, as he has prepared his get-away by providing himself a mechanically sound, late-model sedan of a non-descript make and color, with switched out licence plates.
He further prepares himself, by choosing clothing that is loose, comfortable, and without brand identification. He prefers a simple ball-cap and sunglasses, and latex examination gloves. He prepares a simple, direct note that indicates that he is armed, and instructs the teller to place only the cash from her drawer on the counter where he can see it. He ensures that he doesn't receive an exploding paint marker, then places the cash in a small bank bag that he carries in with him.
During the event, he remains calm, scanning the lobby for threats, yet keeping his focus on the teller. As soon as the cash is in the bag, he turns and quickly exits the bank, goes directly to the get-away car that has been left running, and smoothly enters the traffic flow, travelling at least a quarter of a mile to a residential neighborhood where he has parked his personal vehicle on the street. Removing his ball cap, and glasses, he drives away with a modest amount of cash, a few thousand dollars at the most, and is confident that he will not be caught. He has skillfully made a simple withdrawal from the F.D.I.C. It is a no muss, no fuss operation. He compares the overall risk of the event to visiting an A.T.M. machine at night.
The bad bank robber seems to dwell on the details in his planning.
He prepares himself before the event by checking in to a Motel 6 near the interstate crossing. There he will go over all the scenarios in which to perpetrate the perfect crime, his goal being a tidy haul that will ensure long-term financial stability. He is particular in his clothing choices. He settles on layers of clothing that will facilitate a quick change in his appearance: A trench coat over a sweater, that is worn over a t-shirt, and wind-pants over shorts. Sneakers are chosen in case of the need to run away on foot, gloves are to be worn, as well as a knit stocking cap. He acknowledges that he is sweating, but attributes it to the excitement of the event.
He decides a note-pass is ideal and decides to eliminate a step by writing the note on the back of a McDonald's bag which has been designated to carry out the loot. He writes the note with his left hand to fool the hand-writing experts, yet forgets that he will keep the note with him, as it is also the bag.
His get-away car is his own, as he has no idea how to hot-wire a car. He drives around the area hotels looking for a similar make and model, and when he finds it, surreptitiously removes the license plate. He hesitates momentarily, then dismisses the concern that he may ruin someones vacation the next day, and deftly attaches the Florida plates onto the S.U.V. with Texas inspection stickers. He can't hot wire a car, but he is surgical with a screwdriver.
On the way to the bank in his nearly invisible vehicle with the power steering leak, slippy transmission, and corroded battery terminals, he runs through "The Plan". He will walk in, go to the table where you fill out your deposit, quickly scan the room for armed security, and proceed directly to the teller. He will hand her the McDonald's bag with the note written on the bag with a Sharpie marker that is now a sea of black ink floating in french fry grease, tap on the counter once to get her attention, then tap on his breast pocket adamantly to indicate the presence of a gun which is actually a pair of rolled up socks. He will leave with the money quickly, taking a moment in the parking lot to dig for his key fob, pressing the auto-lock button several times before it's run-down battery triggers the lock. He quickly makes a note to keep his door unlocked. He reminds himself that he is to drive to the mall, where he will park, change out the plates, and drive to the motel to monitor the news coverage.
Outside of the bank, he takes a moment to compose himself, wipe the copious amount of sweat from his brow, and screw his courage to the sticking point. The moment of truth arrives as he walks as casually as possible into the lobby and is immediately greeted by the Loan Guy, the Popcorn Lady, and not one, but three smiling and available tellers, all eager to give world-class customer service.
He asks quietly, "Where's the ATM?"
RINSE.
It's three a.m and the phone rings again
Taxi man is calling, am I gettin' in?
Start the meter, I say, I need more time
You should go on, you say, and you'll be fine
I don't like leaving but I've got no choice
You don't like my face, and can't stand my voice
I know I can't stay here another night
'Cuz all we have is broke, all we do is fight
We never got to where we could have been
Money's long gone, all our dreams were cashed in
I lost you when you asked and I just lied
I pawned my car for a late night cab ride
Ain't slept a wink since we moved up in here
Not enough air, we were smothered by fear
They say that two can live as cheap as one
But it's harder to talk, than it is to run
We rolled some dice that were loaded to lose
I'm short ten bucks, got those Yellow Cab blues
SPIN.
In Shakespeare's comedies the "mistakes of a night" usually wind up with a happy resolution. It's a bumpy path along the way, our heroes often losing their reputations, their fortunes, and their gender identity before the inevitable denouement. The ending plot device always results in lovers reunited, order restored, promises kept, and a marriage celebration. Everyone goes home happy and laughing at "what fools these mortals be".
In Shakespeare's tragedies, grave errors in judgement by the protagonist serve as the catalyst for a cascade of events that result in nothing less than the death of most of the main characters. Every tear shed in Capulet's tomb is set in motion by a poor choice to crash a party; Before Lear can howl away in rage at the storm, he must act the fool and cast out the wrong daughter. There is very little these characters can do to stem the tide of the first deadly mistake, and often rail against the fates that they themselves created.
Late in his life, Shakespeare's Tragi-comedic masterpieces were moral-filled plays that dwelled not on the mistakes that were made, the injustices endured, or the losses suffered, but contained instructive messages of hope for humanity. Perhaps it was his advancing age, or his own vital experience that qualified him to speak about reconciliation, about forgiveness, and redemption. These concepts are not freely given out in these difficult plays. They are earned by the characters through the endurance of the trial by fire. It is impossible for Prospero even with "all his arts" to become the total man, unless he gets to the point where he can forgive the ones who banished him. He has to completely own his own transgressions of the past and free himself from the pain that he endured and caused. There are no happy endings in these last plays, but rather a humane understanding and acceptance of their "parts performed in this wide gap of time since we were dissevered."
Shakespeare has plenty of lessons. For me, it has always been the individual quotes that served to broaden my vocabulary, if not my perspective. Some universal truths can be gleaned from the old texts, golden nuggets to be used in conversation, a witty zinger thrown in to spice up the dialogue such as "First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers". But for all of the hours invested in reading Shakepeare, I missed something very basic. Lost to me among the great one-liners and familiar scenes, is that the entire canon as a whole shows a course of a life, a man first interested in folly and fun, then dealing with decisions and consequences, then eventually coming to a place where he is in full control of his arts. It took Shakespeare his entire adult life to finally write about the most human of concepts, forgiveness.
If you bother to look for them, Shakespeare has plenty of lessons.
This.... This is the man I knew....and loved with my whole heart. May he rest in perfect peace...❤
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