As Far As I Am Considered, Girls, This Is The Great American Epic Novel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                         
                                         Even after five readings, I am convinced that this novel earns the above designation.  I know many would cite Steinbeck's other epic work, "The Grapes Of Wrath."  It is wonderful, but is more evocative of a time and place in history; one could say the same about "East Of Eden," but its scope and themes are more sweeping and universal.

                                          Sixty years later, the book is still something of a sensation. With four suicides, even more deaths, theft, prostitution, sexual perversion, and the most evil woman in American literature, even today it still has the ability to shock.  Imagine this--on September 18, I am going to attend a Book Group discussion of this, by a group of congregants at the Catholic church in my neighborhood--St Andrews!!!!!!  What will die hard Catholics, no matter what generation, have to say about such a book, and how did it come to be selected?  I will give you a full report, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           On a fifth reading, Catherine/Kate, who epitomizes Woman As Satan, is, as has been noted by some, the most static character in the book  That she is, but without her, the novel would lose all of its driving force. .  This time, I found it interesting--with no redeeming qualities--she is what today would be called a sociopath--this woman, towards the end of the novel, starts going to church (she doesn't seem inclined on making amends!!!!!) and when she elects her death, by suicide, before doing so, she writes out a document, wherein she wills everything to her son, Aron Trask, whom she abandoned, with his twin brother, Cal, upon birth.

                                               Girls, if you know "East Of Eden" only from the James Dean movie, you are in for a surprise.  That film covered only the last third of the book; what comes before, in fact, helps one to understand what the movie never explains, not to mention it is compelling reading. And this time around I took pleasure from characters I usually took for granted--Chinese servant Lee, Abra Bacon, Sam Hamilton, his daughter Dessie, and Sam's wife, Liza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 The novel is chock full of Biblical allegory from the first page on; I am certain this will figure in the Catholic book group discussion.  And these allegories transcend the period the story takes place--from about Civil War to World War I-- to seem as relevant today, as when it first appeared.

                                                  But that Catherine/Kate!!!!!!!!!  "East Of Eden" must be beloved by misogynists!!!!!!!  Steinbeck, at the time he was writing it, was going through a rather acrimonious divorce. No doubt he had planned to make the Eve figure evil, but perhaps this experience colored his judgment, causing him to really up the ante!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     I have no doubt I will read it again down the road.  And each time, I am convinced it is the Great American Epic Novel!!!!!!!!!  Let others dispute me, but the Raving Queen has spoken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                        Off with their heads--but not yours, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, My God, Darlings!!!!!!!! When Gene Tierney Walks Down The Stairs, In The Black Gown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Girls, I am telling you, this moment alone is enough to see the 1946 film version of "The Razor's Edge!"

                                         This story has a cast of all-star proportions, and a story that pulls out all the stops!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Tyrone Power plays Larry Darrell, a middle class Chicagoan, who is traumatized by the death of a friend in the war (WWI), who sacrifices himself to save Larry.  Larry then embarks on a lifelong quest for spiritual fulfillment. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, the upper crust, headed by Elliot Templeton (Clifton Webb, playing a devout Catholic; honey can you believe it???? You better believe HE has seen "The Song Of Bernadette!!!") is enthralled with Larry, especially as he and Templeton's niece, Isabel Bradley, are in love, potentially engaged to be married.  Hovering around the fringes of their circle is a childhood friend of Larry's, Sophie Nelson (Anne Baxter, in what turns out to be her Oscar-winning performance!!!!!!!!!!!).

                                            Well, Larry goes off to the Himalayas, Isabel marries Larry's handsome, luggish, but wealthy and socially connected (which is what Isabel wants, darlings!!!!!!!!!) friend, Gray Maturin (John Payne), while Sophie hooks up with Bob MacDonald (played by Frank Lattimore).

                                                But Trouble comes a knocking.  Gray and Isabel lose their money in the stock market crash of 1929, and Isabel has to--oh, think of it!!!!!!--pawn her jewels!!!!!!!!  Not ME, honeys, NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!  Meanwhile Sophie, Bob and their baby daughter are in a terrible car accident; only Sophie survives, leading her on the most tragically downward trajectory since Fantine!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elliot, who has made a killing in the stock market, goes to Paris, takes in Isabel and Gray (not a bad situation for someone who is destitute!!!!!!!).  Gray, because of the loss of his money and pride, suffers a nervous breakdown, and chronic migraine headaches!!!!!!!!!  I know just how he feels, darlings!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  Larry comes back into their lives.  He cures Gray of his headaches, and gets the man back onto his financial feet.  When they encounter Sophie, who has now descended to alcoholism, hanging out in opium dens, and promiscuity because of her inconsolable loss, Larry decides to marry her.  You have got to see the scene, girls, where Sophie is found in the opium den, and runs out into the rain... the last we see of her.  This is after Isabel, claiming her reform is temporary, proves it, by luring Sophie to her apartment, and tempting her with alcohol, which she ingests, and insures her final ruin.  Her body is found in a French river, with her throat having been cut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      Meanwhile, Uncle Elliot is dying, his last request being to be invited to this very high end party. He gets his wish, when Larry stops by and procures an invitation card from her assistant, played by Elsa Lanchester!!!!!!!! This scene is a riot!!!!!!!!!  Elsa walks away from her table, singing "On The Banks Of Loch Lomond," while Larry swipes a card!!!!!!!!! Sweeties, it is just TOO much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He gives the card to Elliot, who dies a devout Catholic, having been assured a high Mass and funeral, and a place in Heaven, having donated TONS of money to the Church!!!!!!!!   Who says money doesn't talk!????????????????

                                                        But Larry has had it with Isabel, the bitch, who has been pining for him the whole movie.  He confronts her with how he thinks she is responsible for Sophie's death (which, technically, she is!!!!!!!!) leaving her high, dry, and remorseless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          That Isabel Bradley is one piece of work!!!!!!!!!  A real ice Princess!!!!!!!!!!!  But she proves one thing!!!!!!!!!  If you are going to be a successful bitch, you have got to look like Gene Tierney, and have money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                             Which leaves me out of the running, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                               But, then, really, who would DARE to call me a bitch??????????

Cookin' Daddy's Johnson, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Now, girls, let me explain!  The idea and thought is certainly not appetizing, but I am telling you, you have just GOT to hear this!!!!!!!!!  And, second, that is REAL beef steak, sizzling in the frying pan.  It is standing in for........well, lambs, as you know, I may be outrageous, but, trust me, there are some lengths to which even I will not go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Poor Brigitte and Carlee Harris!!!!!!!  It was tough enough having to grow up in Staten Island, but even tougher with a scumbag sex abuser for a father.  Brigitte got the most of it, but
Carlee got her share.

                                       But you have to give Brigitte credit.  She somehow survived this, outgrew Daddy's interest, and went on her own, working as an airport security guard. Pretty good for someone with such a traumatic past!  In the meantime, Carlee was on Staten Island, raising two young daughters.

                                         Well, chickens come home to roost, darlings, and in 2007 the Harris family came in for some confrontation.  Eric Goodridge, the abusive Daddy, was visiting Carlee and her daughters in the year 2007.  On a visit over there, Brigitte noticed Eric showing more than a familiar interest in Carlee's daughters, which their mother chose to deny. But Brigitte could not forget.  And when she heard that he intended to take them on a trip with him to visit relations in Lebanon, she had his number, good, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!  And she decided to do something about it.

                                           Now, to this day, she maintains she did not intend to kill him--just physically maim him!  Inviting Daddy over to her place, in Far Rockaway, she confronted him about the abuse, which he chose to deny.  That got Brigitte good and mad, so she knocked her father down, tied him up, stuffed a towel so far down his throat he ultimately suffocated, and then....having read about Lorena Bobbitt....you know where this is going, loves....she took a scissors, and went  snip!., only that did not remove the appendage, so she sliced it off with a knife!!!!!!!!!  Had the towel not been so far down his throat, leading to suffocation, Eric might have survived the mutilation and been restored with surgery.  But Brigitte was out for blood!!!!!!  She took that thing, tossed it into a frying pan, and cooked it on the stove!!!!!!  No, I do not know whether she used olive oil, garlic and onions....this was traumatic revenge, not the Food Channel!!!!!!!!!   And once the thing was cooked, she wrapped it up, and tossed it into the ocean!!!!!!!!!  Bye, bye, Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               Brigitte was found guilty of second degree  manslaughter on  September 30, 2009. She did her time, and was just released two weeks ago, on August 13. I don't know what she will do now, but I am telling you, darlings, do not take any barbecue from her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  You just can't be sure of what you will be eating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just What Is The Mystery Of This Screenplay, Girls????????????

                                 The screenplay, in question, being the one George Seaton wrote for "The Song Of Bernadette," a film, which, if you have read this blog long enough, you know how much I feel about.

                                   With so many screenplays, past and present, published, I have always, quite obviously, wanted to read this one.  But trying to get one's hands on it is a mystery.

                                       Several years back, I came across, in red binding a collection of screenplays, all of the best Hollywood films in the year, 1943.  Conspicuously absent from the collection was 'Bernadette,' and in the introduction, the compiler explains why--it had something to do with not being able to acquire publication rights.  Which is funny, because one of the world's best known films of that year, "Casablanca," is in that anthology with no problem; 'Bernadette' is known, but is definitely for more specialized tastes, and known to more discriminating (and not just Catholic) viewers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Within the past year, I began looking into the whereabouts, if any, of this script, and I found two locations--one which makes perfect sense, the other not.

                                            Seaton's own personal copy of the 'Bernadette' script, was donated by him to the library at St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, as a tribute to his home state and home town of South Bend.  But there is another copy of the script, housed in the archives of the library at Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire!

                                               The mystery surrounding this is fascinating.  Why would Dartmouth own a "Song Of Bernadette" script? Whose copy had it been? And how did it turn up there?  The story behind this would be as fascinating as going up to Dartmouth--the locale I am nearest--and reading the script myself.

                                                  Which I hope to do. I am curious to see how it reads, if there are any scenes in its pages that did not make it into the final print of the film, as I know it.  I can picture the whole thing, like that scene out of "Citizen Kane," with the prune faced librarian ordering me about, limiting my time, coming in at the end, so I do not abscond with a valuable artifact--which I would be tempted to do, but know I never would--and the light streaming in.  Just like in the Orson Welles classic!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      Whether this turns out to be true or not is something only time will prove.  I assure you, if I go, darlings, I will provide a full report.  Meanwhile, there seems to be  an aura of mystery surrounding this film--not only the script, but in the fact that, in the nearly 40 years I have been going to movies on the revival circuit, (and in the days when there were more revival houses, and more movies shown!!!!!!!!!!) the only time this was EVER shown as on May 8, 2008 (a Sunday, of course!) at the Walter Reader Theater as part of a Jennifer Jones retrospective.  Ironic, considering that just bout 19 months later, she died.

                                                           There is more here than meets the eye!  And I intend to get to the bottom of things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                             Even if I have go up to Dartmouth, dressed as a nun! Heaven help me; I"ll probably look like Gladys Cooper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     

Tovah And Randy Are Two Of The Best, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     That is, to be exact, girl, Tovah Feldshuh and Randy Graff!  Both have been around for, in what theater parlance, might be termed forever, and never once have they made the bright lights of Broadway dim.

                                        Let's start with Tovah, whom I actually discovered by accident. In the fall of 1975 (yes, dears, that far back!!!) BAM presented the play "Yentl," based on the story "Yentl, The Yeshiva Boy," by Isaac Bashevis Singer.  Now, you have to understand, loves, at the time I had never heard of either, and I was still practically a virgin!!!!!!!!!!!  That is how long ago it was!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        Well, "Yentl" was such a success it moved to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, which is where I saw it, back in the Spring of 1976.  Now, at that time, I was highly into Musical Theater--always had been, still am--but at this point in my early theatergoing life, I ONLY saw musicals.
One of the reviews for "Yentl," which was a rave, compared it to "Fiddler On The Roof" (which, as it turns out, it does not resemble!!!!!!!) and I somehow got it into my naive head that this was a musical. So I purchased a ticket. People tried to tell me otherwise, and even the photos outside the theater, as I waited for the doors to open that Saturday matinee, suggested such.  I got in, took my seat, and, as the lights went down, somehow it sunk into me that I would not be seeing a musical.  It was terrifying; what would I do???? How would I sit through something I really was not interested in seeing?  Plus, I was in the center, on the aisle, and very close to the stage. I could not just walk out; that would be rude to the performers, and, having a bit of performance background myself, I had a high respect for them and a high degree of good theater audience manners.  I decided to grin and bear it.

                                        Lambs, Tovah took care of everything.  The lights blacked out, and there, onstage was Tovah, as Yentl, delivering her opening monologue. She was so mesmerizing and compelling as an actress I could not take my eyes off her. And by the time she ran backstage, and the main thrust of the play began, I was hooked!!!!!!!!!!  Thank you, Tovah!  And, because of that experience I then expanded my theatergoing horizons to non-musicals.

                                          Several years later, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, Tovah starred in a show called "Sarava!". which was a musical version of Jorge Amado's novel, "Dona Flor And Her Two Husbands."  I regret not seeing this one, but its run was helped immeasurably by the TV commercial at the time, which had Tovah and Company singing the title song.  They would be dancing about, in the most colorful costumes, and singing "SSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRAAAAAAVAAAAAAAAAA!"  I could not help myself,
darlings!!!!!  Whenever this would flash onto the screen, I would get up in front of the screen, and do this!!!!!!!!!  I am sure it drove my parents crazy!  Especially since I was then a young man in my 20's!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Suffice it to say, Tovah has inspired me in ways even she could not imagine.
Recently, Playbill did an online interview, profiling several actors on their worst theatrical mishaps.  Tovah's (and Randy's, which I will get to!!!!!!) were the two best.   Tovah spoke of appearing regionally--maybe Philly--in a production of Neil Simon's "The Star-Spangled Girl.'  There was a moment in the show that called for a very quick costume change--and it had to be done onstage with the curtain down.
Well, either Tovah and the dresser weren't fast enough, or the curtain master rung up too early, because when the curtain came up, there was Tovah..........in her own words, "The rest I leave to your imagination."

                                              Just think, dolls!!!!!!!! She sort of did "HAIR," without ever being in it!!!!!!!!

                                              Now, for Randy Graff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              Back in 1987, when "Les Miserables," was arriving on Broadway, it was as anticipated then, as say, the Rapture is today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Through a mutual friend, Stephen Manashowitz, who had gone to school/college, with Randy, I, and my colleague/friend Suzanne, were able to see the show at its almost freshest--the very night after it opened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  It was a magical evening.  Because Randy was in the enviable position of having the role I still desperately want to play--Fantine!!!!!!!!!!  And I am ready any time one is needed;  you hear that all you "Les Miz" producers and directors??????????  I still do a killer "I Dreamed A Dream."

                                                     When Randy opened in "City Of Angels" I bought the recording as soon as it was released.  To this day, while vacuuming, I sometimes still sing, "You Can Count On Me,"  and "What You Don't Know About Women," which were Randy's songs--and one that was not--"Lost And Found."

                                                         Randy had a wonderful story in this article, involving "Les Miz."  During the Fantine Death Scene, she starts out on the floor, singing, and then, at a certain point, Colm Wilkinson, as Jean Valjean, is supposed to enter, pick her up, and carry her to the bed, where she finishes the rest of the song, and dies!   Well, one night, Randy got to that point, and there was no Colm!!!!!!!  What could she do?????????  I am not sure I would have been as resourceful, as  Randy.
She began, while singing, to crawl across the stage, till she reached the bed, and threw herself in it!!!!!!
By that time, Colm ran onstage, and, in between vocal notes, apologized to her profusely!!!!!!!!  Pretty strong for Fantine, who, at this point, is supposed to be dying of consumption!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                            Don't you just love it, darlings??????????  And, like I said, no matter the mishaps, Tovah and Randy are two of the best!!!!!!!!!!!  Keep it up, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                             I know what you want, darlings!!!!!!!!!  You want to know some of my own stories herein!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Well, if I can think of any, I will share!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                               Meanwhile, I look forward to playing the Andrea Leeds role in "Stage Door!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Tell Me, Girls, Can A Burgeoning Icon Also Be A Rival???????????

  
                                       This is the quandary I am in, darlings!!!!!!!!!!  I certainly have waxed rhapsodic on here enough about Jessie Mueller--pictured above; my God, isn't she gorgeous, and wouldn't we just love to have that hair????--and I certainly have not changed my opinion.  But Jessie and I have something (well, actually, several somethings, if you go by the Six Degrees principle!!!!!) in common,  but I am  just going to focus on one.

                                        Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I saw Jessie being interviewed by Paul Wontorek, in a twenty plus minute segment of "Show People."  Just around the time she got her TONY nod for 'On A Clear Day,' and right before she started her current gig, "Into The Woods."

                                           Well, during this very informative gab session, Paul asked Jessie the question most interviewers ask up and coming performers; indeed what most performers ask themselves.

                                               What is your dream role?

                                                  Having just done one of mine, darlings,--Homer Bolton in Paul Osborn's "Morning's At Seven"-- I can attest to how satisfying it can be.  I was fascinated to hear what Jessie's answer would be, and when she stated it, I was shocked!!!!!!!!!

                                                      Her dream role is Fanny Brice in the musical "Funny Girl!"

                                                      Not that that does not make sense. And not that Jessie would not  be marvelous in it!  I would be one of the first in attendance to cheer her on, and you know damn well if she did a Cast Album of it, I would buy it!  And listen to it with rapture!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          But, Jessie, dear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                           I was nine years old, when Barbra Streisand first stepped onto the stage of that packed Winter Garden house on the night of March 24, 1964, and since then I have wanted to have that same experience. At night, in my bed, before falling asleep, I would project myself into nighttime Manhattan, imagine I was inhabiting Barbra's body and having that experience!!!!!!! Which made me only want to have it all the more!!!!!!!  That role was MINE!!!!!!!!!!  By high school, I would spontaneously burst out into renderings of "I'm The Greatest Star!"  Even now, I will suddenly break out into "If A Girl Isn't Pretty," or "Who Taught Her Everything She Knows?"  And just wait till you hear MY "Coronet Man!!!!!!!!!"  Though I would certainly love to hear Jessie's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          But what can be done when you have not just one but two Toasts of the Town wanting to play the same exact role????????????????????????

                                                             Well, Jessie, I guess we will just have to combine somehow. 

                                                               The one thing I MUST stipulate, though, is that we HAVE  to play the Winter Garden Theatre.  "Mama Mia!" has been thee long enough! Time to get a classic in there, even if it is a revival!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                  Perhaps Jessie could do the evening performances, and I could do the matinees.  Or perhaps, just like John C. Reilly and Philip Seymour Hoffman in "True West," we could switch nightly!!!!!!!!!!!!  When not playing Fanny I would (as long as the show is kept exactly in its ORIGINAL form; none of these film embellishments!!!!!) be happy to do the role of Mrs. Brice!!!!!!!!  But what would Jessie do on her nights off????????  Wait; Lainie Kazan understudied Barbra; what was her actual role in the production???? Oh, yes, Vera, and a Showgirl!!!!!!! Which Jessie could pull off better than I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                     Just think, darlings, the first major revival of this show, and you get two Fannys for one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  More bang for your buck, dears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                        Speaking of bang, girls, what was that line from "The Producers?"

                                                                          Who do I have to fuck, to get a break in this town??????



                                                            
                                                      
                                                            





                                                         

New York Can Sometimes Be A Lonely Town, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Now, girls, let me just back up to little over a month ago.  On the morning of July 20, 2012, as Monsieur and I were getting ready for work, the TV set firmly fixed on New York 1,  he called out to me, "Come hear this!  There was a shooting in a movie theater at the 'Batman' movie!"  My first thought, honestly, was "Great!  Some nut has gone off his nut here in New York!"  Imagine my shock when it turned out to be Colorado--again!--that state bearing forever the imprint of Columbine.

                                 And then there was yesterday.  I was blithely going about my business, morning  coffee, writing my blog posts, when my friend, Harvey, called. "Did you hear about the shooting?, he asked. "What shooting, " I replied. "Near the Empire State Building," he explained.  "Oh, my God!," I thought, Now it has happened HERE?"  So, after finishing business, I turned to the news spots for information, of which there was very little.  I knew immediately I would eventually blog about this, but something about this whole thing bothered me, and I knew my blog would be done in my own, inimitable, unconventional way.

                                    Because.

                                     While I feel deeply for the victims--all of them--and their families, I do a feel a sense of compassion for the shooter and his family.  And even though there is enough information out there, enough discrepancies and questions still abound.

                                       What IS known is that the shooter was Jeffrey Johnson, who worked at the Hazan Import Company at 10 West 33rd Street, for about 15 years.  It is known that Johnson was laid off from his job there, after 15 years, and that he had ongoing disputes with Steve Ercolino, also at the company.  Yesterday morning, Mr. Johnson, who apparently knew his coworker's routine, arrived at the building, impeccably dressed in a grey busienss suit, as though showing up for work (which was part of his daily routine, anyway, according to his Super; clearly the guy had OCD!!!!!)  where he saw Ercolino leave to get some coffee and such.  He followed, the two got into a verbal confrontation, and then Johnson shot Ercolino, 41 years of age, living with a girlfriend in Jersey, to whom he was apparently engaged,  in the head, and then again, for revenge sake.  He then walked off, as calmly as though going to a business meeting, but was spotted by at least one construction worker, who alerted cops to what had happened, they shot at Johnson, and he went down.  But not before eleven others were injured and grazed.  And not necessarily by shots from Mr. Johnson!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             This is what is known.  But so many questions remain, which I hope will get answered. 

                                               Why do some stories say Johnson was 53, while others say 58?  Why do some say he was fired a year ago, some two years, and some say just the day before?  What made Johnson snap on that particular morning?  This was a man who lived alone, in a well kept apartment on the sixth floor of an East 82nd Street walkup.  According to his downstairs neighbor and Super, he was neat, fastidious, constantly cleaning and vacuuming, had two cats, and was a creature of habit, from the way he left each morning for McDonald's, coming back with breakfast, and spending the day indoors.

                                                   According to what I read, the ongoing dispute centered over Ercolino's unwillingness to sell the products Johnson designed. The reason is not known.  It is known that each threatened the other; Ercolino physically grabbed Johnson once, and Johnson pointedly said to him, though who could have known, "Someday, I am going to kill you!"  Which he did.  Some say Johnson's being laid off was due to simple economics and downsizing.  Others that he was spending too much time working on his own personal website and design business, and not enough on his job at Hazan.  The former is probably how he spent those days indoors. That, maybe putting out resumes, but definitely brooding over Ercolino.

                                                   Now, here is where things get dicey.  I don't like what I see in the faces of either.  In Mr. Johnson I see a sad, lonely soul, who for whatever reason was not able to reach out to people. He had two cats; but honeys, don't start on me about sexual orientation, because when it comes down to things in this case, it does not matter.  What matters is that Johnson, from losing his job, and his loneliness, was in a great deal of emotional pain, which it sounds like he did not seek help about. You can see it in his eyes, which have the look of both sadness, and a coldness suggesting him well capable of doing what he did.  Clearly, a dangerous combination!!!!!!!   He and Ercolino were said to have mutual harassment on both sides, but what kind of harassment?  Not sexual; probably more like personality.  Or maybe even workplace bullying; Ercolino seems the type!!!!!  Because the photo of Ercolino shows someone whom I consider an arrogant, testosterone fueled Alpaha Male, who thinks they are God's gift--the kind of person I would despise myself.  Again, some stories described him as just a coworker; others an office manager; still others as the Vice President of Sales.   Someone I would  not be able to work with.  But I cannot imagine killing them.  For one thing, I have rationale and impulse control; for another, what would I know about using firearms, and I have no  interest in doing so!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    Johnson came to NYC by way of Sarasota, Florida.  He has been here since 1992, and owned hs gun since '91.  Why would a fashion designer, who is NOT high end, like Ralph Lauren, say, need a gun????? And where would he get the skill to use it?  Which brings up the question of how do these people learn to use these things oh so skillfully?  What of those who go to practicing ranges?  Are they going there for legit reasons, or not?  Is there any way to screen them, driving out the loonies??? The time ahs come when I think this is necessary!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      And why didn't Hazan Imports, who clearly must have noticed the animosity between these two workers,  deal with it?  Mental illness is all around us, and the workplace can sometimes be a breeding ground for it. Perhaps, while still employed, Mr. Johnson should have been forced to seek help!  Perhaps if this had been done, he and Ercolino would be alive.

                                                         I am not about to defend Corporaton America, which, in part, is responsible for bringing down both Johnson and Ercolino. Nor am I going to defend killing someone for animosity's sake.  My best approach to dealing with the latter has been--out of sight, out of mind!  But aparently, it was not enough for Mr. Johnson, and we may never know why.

                                                            The only visitor he ever had to his apartment was his mother.
How sad that is, how sad his frustration and loneliness drove him to this, and how frustrating and sad for
Mr. Ercolino's family.

                                                                 What else?

                                                                   Mr. Johnson graduated from a college of art and design in Florida.  Considering how things turned out yesterday, one has to ask--was his death a suicide by police?  It cerainly sounds like it.

                                                                     What is scary to me is that there are other Jeffrey Johnsons out there, not just in New York, but everywhere. They are alone.  And waiting.  The
majoirty of them may not snap in this way, but they are in painful isolation.

                                                                        Our society at large needs to reach out to them!!!!!!!!!!