"When given the choice between being right and being kind, always choose kind." -- Dr. Wayne Dyer
Monday, March 31, 2008
Naughty, offensive, inappropriate, self-righteous and in bad taste?
Joey and I didn't close out Pride this year. I was worn out by about 3 p.m. As we rolled through the streets, I mentioned that I wouldn't mind if she wanted to stop any place because we don't get to wonderful Lake Worth very often. The quaint City Hall flies the Pride Flag. Love it! We stopped at a favorite store with gifty, goofy, kinky stuff. We paused first at the shirt table outside the store. Then we went inside and perused. Then we went back out to the shirt table. Joey chose a shirt and since they were two-fer I chose one, too. Joey's short reads "I know what girls like...." Mine has the heads of Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney and George Bush on it. It says, "Goodbye Fuckers." Even though I'm becoming an independent after having been royally screwed by the Democratic Party, I'm still going to advise the local Young Democrats and I think I'll be a hit at the meeting tomorrow. I know that the "F" word may offend some people but all things considered, it's relatively tame, after all the people on the shirt have told lies and taken actions that killed thousands of people, including women and children. What's more offensive to you?
for sharing another great quip from one of my favorite 20th-century pundits. Sidney J. Harris was a gentleman, a scholar and a very clever columnist at the Chicago Daily News and his barbs have peppered life just as much as any other writer you can name. Here's another shot from Sidney:
When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'
I need to talk about Charo before the evening fades from my head.
Charo looks fabulous. She thoroughly engaged the audience. She told us she would read our minds and had us put our hands to our heads and hum. Then she said, "I got it. I know what you are-a thinking. You'rea thingking how old essa dat beetch?"
She told us that she came to America when she was sixteen after having been discovered when she performed on the Spanish version of Sesame Street, when her "cuchi-cuchi was a cichi-cichi." She said that she was on TV and then they decided that she was too young and Xavier Cugat took her to the Elizabeth Arden salon and when she came out she was a different age.
She shared her regimen for health and looking great. She said, "I drink a lot of water. I run two to three miles every day with a very tight bra so my mangos don't hit the ground because if they hit the ground they will a-stay down. I never-a smoke. And I-a moisturize two times a day, morning and night."
She disappeared off the stage during a song and reappeared in the audience to dance. She pulled a woman she recognized from a performance in Hawaii and she also instructed an older bald gentleman whose head she had blessed with her "maracas" to hold her hips while she swayed in front of him.
(I just want to say that is the kind of homey friendliness that endears celebrities to fans. No, not making boobular contact with a fellow's head but the fact that she recognized someone she had seen in another state.)
She got back up on the stage and talked about the dance. She explained the dance she was doing which is like "spooning." She quipped, "...but you have to be careful because spooning leads to a-forking."
How old is she? Sixty-seven, I write with reverence. Wow. Kind of makes you think you've really been living wrong when you compare yourself.
And Charo humbly explained that all she really is... is a guitarist, having studied for 7 years with Andres Segovia. She offered that she teaches the Segovia technique to school children so that the technique will not be lost.
We had such a good time. And I kept wondering why there weren't a few drag queens in the audience. She's so original... it's hard to imagine anyone even daring to try to imitate her with any sincerity. She may be INIMITABLE.
She said of herself as a guitarist, "This is really all that I am... but I love cuchi-cuchi. Cuchi-cuchi has shown me the way to the bank!"
