Re: Another DUMB post?


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Posted by Rick Denney on May 27, 2003 at 12:06:57:

In Reply to: Another DUMB post? posted by LV on May 25, 2003 at 17:04:41:

There was a performance at a recent Army conference by one of the true greats. Frankly, he played as though he was intoxicated, and exuded an attitude of unprofessionalism and insensitivity to the audience. I felt as though the adoring tuba-player audience had been taken for granted. I put this well beyond the usual bad day.

Then there was the time at this year's conference when Ken Sloan and I happened to encounter Roger Bobo in the Men's Room. Without even skipping a beat, Ken reached into his shirt pocket and whipped out a name tag, custom-made for Roger Bobo. (Ken is rather well-known for his customized name tags that we use to to separate the Internet geeks from normal people.) The name tags had a picture of Bobo pulling a mute from several years before, so Ken apparently thought it only fair to make a tag for the subject of the photo. Mr. Bobo was quite pleasant considering he'd just been accosted by a fearless college professor handing him a custom-made name tag, with "Roger Bobo" on it, just after having zipped up his pants. He was clearly trying to place Ken and I in our proper roles within the insect world, but he gamely tried to cover that up with complete graciousness. I was most appreciative of that consideration, given that I'd been unsuccessful in rendering myself invisible by melting into the adjacent wall.

Of course, Ken had to deliver the coup de grace, when he offered bonus points if Mr. Bobo could identify the occasion on which the photo had been taken. (Which he did.)

I did not see Mr. Bobo wearing the name tag later in the conference, heh, heh. But that episode plus his marvelous handling of student subjects in his master class for me confirmed his musical reputation and established his reputation as a gentleman.

The trouble with reputations is that you sometimes have to live up to them. That's why I avoid adoration. Nobody is that good.

Rick "who respects some people for their ability to make money--and nothing more" Denney


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