Mickey Z

Cool Observer

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Sunday, February 12, 2006

Greece has lost its marbles...or were they stolen?

This New York Times article about a stolen vase (and this one, too ) reminded me of an earlier conversation we had here about the Elgin Marbles.

“We are talking about the Parthenon. We are talking about the greatest national symbol of Greece. What we are saying is that this masterpiece must be reunified and its integrity restored.”
-Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, 2000

“The British Museum says it cannot return the Marbles because its rules forbid it giving anything back.”
-The Guardian, 2001

Those interested in reading an article I wrote on the Marbles in 2002 should click on the word more below.

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Doing squats with Bruce Cutler

A regular in the Vertical Club weight room was one Bruce Cutler, the late John Gotti’s lawyer. The barrel chested Cutler was a popular figure in the trendy gym...not only for his weight-lifting prowess and dedication, but for his jocular and affected mannerisms. He’d never use a monosyllabic word when a longer, more captivating term could do the job so much better. For example, the gym was crowded and I was spotting a young woman on the bench press which involved me standing behind the bench and against a mirrored wall. Cutler and a training partner wanted to use the bench next. So, instead of asking if we had a lot more sets to do, he queried, “Are you deeply ensconced back there, sir?”

Bruce Cutler sez:: “To read the complete essay, please click here.”

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