Peter Kastner’s Misleading Obituary

I posted the video of “The Ugliest Girl in Town” on Thursday, September 18th having no idea that Peter Kastner (the star of that show) had died that day of a heart attack.  I thank Linda who left a comment on the post for letting me know.  Why I posted, I don’t know other than the song was rolling around in my head.  Kind of  spooky, huh?  I was not a fan of Peter Kastner other than I thought he was cute in the show and he brought a smile to my face.  My condolences go to his family who on top of dealing with their grief had to spend their time refuting an obit that was clearly done with a biased point of view and very little research.  I am reposting Mrs. Kastner’s comments on the story below.  Unfortunately, the obituary has been copied and disbursed throughout the internet as gospel without Mrs. Kastner’s comments.

Peter’s widow responds Part 1

As the late Peter Kastner’s widow (who was not contacted by Martin Knelman nor John nor Jamie Kastner, the sole sources cited in the article), I am disappointed by the tenor and content of Martin Knelman’s obituary. Peter and I were married for 34 years. The Peter I knew was not to be found in Knelman’s piece. First, some minor innaccuracies: he wasn’t driving when he died, he had pulled over to the side of the road. He was not in downtown Toronto. He never came close to landing the lead in The Graduate, but was just one of a number of actors who read for the part. I am offended at having him portrayed as Norma Desmond a comparison–with a reclusive, delusional actress — that is unfair to Peter and unfair to his memory. Nothing addresses the fine qualities of Peter which would not paint him in such a negative and deluded light. His identity was not wrapped up in being an actor.

Peter’s widow responds, Part 2

After he left acting he became a high school English teacher. He became a maker of quirky and interesting videos on a wide range of subjects. He mentored many teenagers, helped raise his step-daughter and was the constant delight of his grandchildren. Not only is the article inaccurate on a factual basis, it is also a gross misrepresentation of Peter’s life after he left acting. The Peter I knew was actively engaged in the world, through his video work, his songwriting, his political activism and his many friendships. It would have been nice if Knelman had mentioned his first wife Wendy Miller, who also mourns him. The incomplete view presented by Knelman fails to capture the sweetness and soul of the good man who died in his parked car on September 18th, 2008.

Camus

I think it was Camus who said something about the best way to die being at a time when one was happy. There was nothing sad about Peter’s “end of life” He was deeply engaged with the world, making wonderful music, starting on an exciting new project, and looking forward to a trip to new York to celebrate his grandsons’ birthdays. This grim obit says nothing about who he was. He was happy, we are the sadder for losing him.

Posted by jenny kastner at 11:18 AM Monday, September 22 2008

If you want to read the obit she is referring to just google Peter Kastner – you are bound to get a version of the one the Toronto paper ran.

Oooh, intelligent candidates

I have already decided for whom I am going to vote and the debate tonight did little to sway me away from my decision.  I just wonder if there are those out there who are on the fence as to who they will be voting for at this point in the game.  The one thing I enjoyed about this debate was that both candidates are capable of speaking intelligently to an issue without mispronouncing words or resorting to squinting and grimacing. 

Obama makes so much sense to me that I’m surprised that anyone could disagree with him. And while, I do not agree at all with McCain’s views and tactics (and strategies – I too understand the difference, Senator, we all do), at least he can put a coherent sentence together.  

In my opinion, for what it is worth, Obama is the best choice for President.  I don’t trust McCain for a litany of reasons – see my previous posts.  I think McCain came off as a bit of a drama queen this week with the whole “I’m suspending my campaign because of the economic crisis.”  He couldn’t possibly attend the debate it was so urgent he be in Washington.  ”But oh, wait, now I can attend the debate.”  What changed?  The crisis is ongoing – no decision has been made about the bail out.  I think he just wanted the attention.  Great now I have “Dancing Queen” by ABBA going through my head.

Can’t wait for the Palin/Biden debate.  I think Palin may make Dan Quayle look like a genius.  

By the way, sometimes I marvel at the ability offered to all of us in this country, to sit and put our thoughts down, no matter whether they are sane or not, and put them out for the whole world to read.  Granted I have a readership of about two, not quite the whole world – but hey, you two readers, thanks for allowing me the opportunity to rant.

A googol for your thoughts…

Google is giving away ten million dollars to fund five projects that they believe will have a significant impact on humanity and the planet.  Its called 10^100 i.e., Ten to the Hundredth – which apparently is what a googol is (that’s the way you spell the number doncha know).  I knew a googol was a large number but ashamedly I didn’t know that that’s what it is – 1 with a hundred zeros after it.  The word “googol” looks to me like the name of some Russian writer whose works I’ve never read.  But I digress. All the details are here: 10^100.  I think we all need to come up with something to submit.  It doesn’t hurt and it might help.

Small ideas can change the world if put into action.  I recently read about Playpumps which I think are brilliant.  Using kid-playing power to pump water in underdeveloped areas by using a merry-go-round or roundabout or whatever your culture calls it.  Its simple – the children play and exercise and water is pumped!  Amazing.  I think that’s the kind of ideas Google is looking for.  Click on the image below for more info.

 

And if you’re thinking with the economy the way it is, I don’t have time to think about other people’s problems — here, try this website: http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php — You put in your income (you don’t have to be exact – you can even lie or just be vague about it if you want) and it will let you know how rich or poor you are by comparison to the incomes of the rest of the world.  Give it a try. There are no strings attached and no donation to anything is necessary.  Its just interesting.

Good going Clay!

I wasn’t planning on ever posting anything, ever again, ever, about Clay Aiken.  I had posted something previously which in effect said he, as an entertainer, was not my cup of tea, and I heard for one or two members of the Claynation about it.  Well, now I feel obligated to post this.  He is still not my cup of tea as an entertainer but I have a bit more admiration for him as a human being.  From a CNN article referencing a People magazine story:

….”Yes, I’m Gay.” The cover also has the quote: “I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things.”

* * *

Aiken, who gained fame as the runner-up on “American Idol” in 2003, rarely addressed the frequent rumors about his sexuality. He said two years ago, “I don’t really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love.”

Yeah for Clay!  While I whole-heartedly agree that his private life is nobody’s business but his own, and he had no duty to explain his lifestyle to anyone, I applaud him for standing up and being open about who he is if nothing else but  for the sake of his child.  By treating homosexuality like it is something that is wrong and should be hidden, he was doing a disservice to himself and society in general.  Now, if we could only get Ricky Martin to be that honest.  It would make no difference to your fans, Ricky, we’d still live the Vida Loca with you!

St. Elizabeth the Crafter a.k.a. St. Betsy of Etsy

St. Elizabeth the Crafter, also known as St. Betsy of Etsy, was a pious and dedicated craft person. Her use of Etsy to sell her wares led to the simple town folk labeling her a witch. St. Betsy was tried, convicted of witchery and ordered to be beheaded. At her execution, her last request was to be allowed to list one more item. Angels appeared with a laptop and assisted her in her final wish. Upon her martyrdom, St. Betsy became the patron saint of all Etsyians who can be heard murmuring ‘Heavens to Betsy’ every time their just listed item gets buried. A prayer to St. Betsy is printed on the back of the prayer card. I have St. Betsy’s card placed by computer to remind me not to get too serious about it all – its a business but it should be fun too.

This is a digitally collaged ACEO.  It is duplex printed with a prayer to St. Betsy on the back. 

I really enjoy Photoshop – look for more images coming soon to my Etsy Shop.  If you don’t know what Etsy is – go take a look.  Its a great place to purchase handcrafted items – start thinking ahead for the holidays.

Just jiggle the wire a little, it should start right up

The LHC (Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland) will be shut down for the next two months or so while they attempt to repair a “faulty electrical connection” – yeah, right.  Its little teeny black holes, run for the hills… wait there are no hills… ahhhhhh…. 

Actually this just struck me as funny. All this hoopla about the LHC creating black holes and being possibly the machine that will end the planet and oh, wait a second – it seems we have an electrical short.  

“It’s too early to say precisely what happened, but it seems to be a faulty electrical connection between two magnets that stopped superconducting, melted and led to a mechanical failure and let the helium out,” Gillies told The Associated Press.

Here’s a link to the whole article: Large Hadron Collider Shut Down

I had a problem like that with an old iron of mine, except my iron wasn’t full of helium.

You don’t have to be a Mia or Sofia…

This is what I love about YouTube.  Things that I thought were lost to me forever reside in little niches and crannies over there.   When I was very young I watched The Flying Nun religiously (I belonged to the Church of Alejandro Rey).  There was a show that came on, I believe before the Flying Nun (maybe afterwards) called The Ugliest Girl in Town.  And for the past 40 years or so, every so often the theme song to that show floats through my head and I feel compelled to sing it.  I used to sound record (this was the sixties children – no VCR’s) the themes to shows and somewhere I still have a reel to reel sound recording of a Flying Nun episode (no not the Harlan Ellison one)* and the  theme to  The Ugliest Girl in Town.  The person who posted this video over at YouTube went me one better, she filmed the beginning and end bits of the show.  I didn’t have a film camera back then.

It was a silly premise and a silly show but it made an impression – its probably why I ended up watching Bosom Buddies too.  …. yes, that’s right I’m a connoisseur of vintage bad t.v. shows – “bad” really is in the eye of the beholder.  

Oh and by the way, you best be readin’ the above in yer pirate voice, or its the plank for ye!  Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day, arrrrrrrr…….

Avast, ahoy and arrrghh or is that arrrr…

 This Friday be Talk Like a Pirate Day, savvy?  Now to be honest, I don’t much like pirates unless they’re Disney-fied.  Give me a soft hearted, good looking, funny pirate — insert your favorite photo of Johnny Depp here – I’m too tired to look for one) or a blustery old sweetheart of a pirate — insert picture of Peter Ustinov as Blackbeard here, I’m too  -   What?  You’ve never seen Peter Ustinov in Blackbeard’s Ghost?  Do you even know who Peter Ustinov is?  …….. Oh, alright, wait a second while I go scrounge around Google images for a photo … talk amongst yourselves - practice talking like a pirate, matey….

 Okay, I’m back.  Here: 

 Ustinov was much younger than I remember him but then I haven’t seen this film since I was a wee pirate lassie and he probably looked old to me back then.  I do vaguely remember the movie was a lot of fun to watch.  I remember looking up Blackbeard (Edward Teach) in the library after I saw the movie.  Yes, I was geeky from birth.  Back then there was no “internet”  … why in my day, we had to walk through the snow for miles to get to a library and then go through stacks and stacks of books until …. uh, never mind. …. Now I’m exhausted and I’ve forgotten why I started all this …

Oh yeah, talk like a pirate.  Here’s a link to an interesting Slate article that talks about “pirate speak” in the movies (which of course is where we get all our information)  http://www.slate.com/id/2167567 

Git along with ye now, arrrr… I need to practice my pirate speak some more. …. arrr …

What next – a remake of Citizen Kane starring Will Ferrell?

Sacrilege! I just saw a preview for the remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”  I know I should reserve judgment until I  see the film but I’ve already formed an unfavorable opinion.  As far as I can tell, the original concept of The Day the Earth Stood Still (I’m going to abbreviate it to TDTESS just cause that’s a lot to keep typing and I’m lazy) has been bastardized.  The original movie was about peace, nonviolence and creating change without violence.  In the preview I saw, Keanu Reeves hurt more people than Michael Rennie did in all of the original TDTESS.  There was destruction when the saucer landed, destruction around Keanu, destruction of buildings, fire walls, trucks disintegrating, people scrambling, collapsing, etc.  Why are they calling it The Day the Earth Stood Still – it should have been called The Day We Used As Many Special Effects as We Could Get Our Hands On to Make As Much Money as We Could.  The point of the original was a quiet threat, a show of force that was awe-inspiring but hurt now one – the potential for destruction was there but it was restrained and Earth ultimately had to make the choice (I’m trying to be vague just in case there is someone who has not seen the movie in which case please see the original first).  And why choose Keanu Reeves to play the lead?  Peter Weller would have been such a better choice – he has that quietness with intelligence that is necessary for the role (not that I’m saying Mr. Reeves is not intelligent but he can come across as rather vacant-looking).  I shudder to think what they’ve done to Gort!  I know, I know – I’m jumping to conclusions without having seen the film but I’m not sure I’m going to be able to bring myself to see the film.  Poor Robert Wise must be spinning wherever he may be.

Watch this please

For those who don’t know him, this is Craig Ferguson.  He is very funny, very smart and in this video speaks for me and countless others.  Craig’s rant is wonderful but if you don’t have time to watch the whole thing – go to the about 5 minute mark and watch from there.  Mr.  Ferguson, if you please:

Go Craig!!!!  BTW – Craig Ferguson chose to become a citizen of the U.S. this year (got 100% on his test!). I think naturalized citizens sometimes have a better understanding of what a privilege it is to vote.

If you want a transcript of what was said its available here:

http://www.chrisweigant.com/